Not What You'd Expect
by TFK-fan118
Summary: Deciding to screw up the Inuyasha world has pros and cons. From destroying bonds to forging news ones, abnormal will become normal. Normal will become obsolete. As an actress, she expected drama, but not this much. No one is safe, not even herself.
1. Chapter 1

Nia Dodson was not a typical girl transitioning from teen to adult. Her looks were simple. Dark brown hair and pale brown eyes—some would call them hazel—but she called them dull on occasion. Her single braided hair reached her mid back. Most often, the braids were bound together in some form of a ponytail. It was too much trouble any other way. Black-rimmed glasses were constantly on her face unless one of her directors forced her to remove them.

Despite being eighteen, Nia was an actress. Nothing too big, though. Things like movies weren't her thing. Well, she wanted them to be her thing, but many saw her as too young. So because of her age, she was limited to commercials, and the occasional extra on a television show. This whole 'acting career' started around five years ago. Her mother had died, leaving Nia pretty much alone. Her father had never been around. So the government labeled her as a ward of state until her uncle came for her. He had been overseas filming some type of music video. Anthony Dodson was a director, and he practically forced her to become an actress. It was a live or die type of thing with him. He, more or less, kicked her out. Yes, he gave her an apartment, but it was up to her to pay the bills. Fourteen years old, and she was already paying bills. Her mother would have been proud.

She loved her uncle for taking her under his wing, but he could have been a bit nicer about the whole ordeal. She did just lose the one person she held dear. But no, all he wanted to do was shape her into a fine actress, capable of starring in a big time Hollywood movie. Sure, acting was fun, but Nia just didn't have the passionate drive for it. At this point, she would take anything that was thrown at her, really. What she _did_ have the drive for was anime. _Pokemon_ was the first time she had become fascinated. Then, it just expanded from there. First, it was anime, and then came live-action versions of anime and manga, the Japanese dramas, and then Japanese culture. Watching movies and dramas online were a pain, though. Most were not translated. So her only option was to learn the language, so she wouldn't have to wait for long periods of time.

Her uncle had believed she was learning because she wanted to be an actress in Japan. _Ha_! Hardly! Her motivation was purely selfish. How else was she supposed to enjoy anything that came from such an amazing culture? Anything and everything that came from Japan was held in high regard. If it had to do with the country, she was fascinated by it. Even the not so appropriate things—even hentai. She didn't watch for the ecchi stuff. She merely observed. Watching things such as that at a young age twisted her innocent mind, and so Nia Dodson was a bit of a pervert herself. Her thoughts would be frowned upon in most societies, so she opted to keep her dirty thoughts to herself. Only her last boyfriend knew of her vulgar mind. That was one of the reasons they had broken up. He could not keep up with her pace.

But enough about that. Although she closely followed actors and actresses of Japan—a reason why her uncle had assumed such a thing as acting for the country—Nia still watched a anime from her adolescent years. _Inuyasha_ was her all time favorite thing to watch. Most of the characters, she absolutely adored. Never mind the skin color differences; she had dressed up as all the humanoid characters at some point—male or female. She almost wished she would have gone to conventions to show off, but it never happened.

So here she sat, watching an episode, cackling loudly when Miroku was slapped for rubbing the behind of Sango. There was nothing better to do, anyway. At the moment, there were no job openings for her. Usually, her uncle/agent called with jobs on the weekends. It was Thursday. Her part-time job at the supermarket only needed her on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Living alone sure did have its perks. She could watch and be as loud as she wanted. However, some of the time, her surrounding neighbors banged on the walls, ceiling, or floor to keep her quiet.

Nia crossed her arms and scoffed. "I would have done a much better job at being discreet. Miroku, you sure have a lot to learn!" The young adult nodded her head, agreeing with herself. Indulging in anything Japanese is how she spent her leisure time. If her uncle knew, he would be ashamed to call her his niece.

"_Woof_…!"

A loud bark distracted her for a moment. Her white-furred Great Dane jumped on the couch and lied down beside her. He licked at her knee and rested his head against her folded leg. "Did you have a nice nap, Inuyasha?" Nia scratched behind the big dog's right ear. Yes, she had even named her pet after the half-demon of the show. She had trained him to sit whenever she said 'sit boy,' too. _Ah_, the logic of a fangirl.

Nia focused her eyes back on her laptop. Television was overrated since you could view anything online nowadays. She paused the episode, and then opened a new tab. Every few hours she would check her email, hoping for something interesting. Usually, it was just junk mail. Perhaps this time it would be something good—like an offer to act in a movie with popular actors/actresses. It was wishful thinking. Something like that was not going to happen. With a sigh, Nia closed her eyes. Maybe better work came with age? "God, give me something new!" She smacked her hands together. "I don't care what it is—just let me get something great!"

_DING_

Cracking one of her eyes open, she saw that she had just received a new message in her inbox. "That's a bit scary…" she muttered. She clicked on the new message and scanned over the words, mumbling them out loud. "What the hell…? 'Dear Nia, what do you wish for? Control your power before your new friends are no more!' Is this some kinda riddle?" Nia closed her eyes for a minute. She wasn't any good at riddles, but she did try. It only took a moment for her to become frustrated. Quickly, she closed the tap and focused back on Inuyasha. Riddles just weren't worth it.

About twenty minutes into the episode, Nia found herself wincing. Inuyasha was surely strong, but he was no match for Kagome. The Japanese schoolgirl's power over the half-breed was annoying, but admirable. She had just told the poor demon to sit, sending him crashing into the ground—all because she had become angry with him. "I kinda wish I was there," Nia said in a thoughtful way. "I would use that power for laughs and not because I was angry."

As if that was any better…

Out of nowhere, the apartment began shaking. Now, because she lived in Ohio, this was a strange occurrence. She did nothing but tense up, eyes wide, hoping it would pass. However, it the quake did not pass. In fact, it became more violent. Things fell over, glasses broke, and loud barking threatened to give her a headache. Nia squeezed her eyes shut, holding onto her laptop. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to stay in one place, but she was _panicking_. This had never happened before!

Finally, the violent trembling stopped. The sound of things breaking, falling, and barking stopped. New sounds entered her ears. Birds were… chirping? They sounded so close. A foreign smell tickled her nose as the wind blew. She was sure she closed all the windows… Actually, Nia felt a bit weird. Her bottom didn't feel like it was on the couch anymore. It felt like she was sitting in grass. The wind blew again. Nia slowly opened her eyes. The sun shined down on her, causing her to blink rapidly. The laptop that she had been holding onto was no longer in her hands. Confused, she looked around.

"What the…?" It appeared as though she was in some type of forest. "This isn't… my place…" Well, obviously, it wasn't. Nia just felt the need to state the obvious. She stood up and stared up at the sky. It was a bright and sunny day. The sun had been in the process of setting the last time she had looked out her window. "Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore."

Her eyes grew wide. She frantically looked around for her dog. Sadly, he was nowhere in sight. Frowning, Nia pinched herself. A dream. It had to be a dream. She pinched herself again. Any moment now, she would wake up with a replay button staring back at her. Again, pain was recognized in her brain. Still, she remained in the same place. There was no replay button. Then again, she had never really tried to get out of a dream before. Who really knew the proper way to wake up from a dream anyway?

"_OSUWARI_!"

"Wait… Wait… _Wha_?" Nia's eyes darted all over the place. She could have sworn she heard a female Japanese voice yell out a command for a pet. Hastily, the young woman walked over to where she heard the voice. Peeking out from behind a tree, she saw something so shocking, so weird, and so unexpected that it took time to actually process exactly what she was seeing in the first place. Once her brain caught up with the image of a green and white Japanese school uniform, and the red traditional Japanese clothes, Nia's mouth opened.

She released a scream so loud that it caused her head to spin.


	2. Chapter 2

"Well, from the clothes she's wearing, I'd say she is from my time," Kagome answered. Her eyes narrowed a bit. "She's not Japanese, though. How on Earth did she get here?" The group of five had heard the echoing scream quite clearly. It sounded as though a woman was being brutally murdered. So of course they went on alert. They quickly found her, passed out by a tree. She wore such odd clothing. It was stranger than what Kagome chose to wear. The schoolgirl explained that what she wore was jean shorts and a T-shirt. The material of the girl's sandals was odd. Her toenails were painted red. However, what was weird was the color of her skin. Never before had any of them seen such tanned skin. Suddenly, the girl stirred and sat up, gasping for air.

She got a good look around before screaming again. Annoyed, Inuyasha whacked her over the head, which caused Kagome to scold him. Shaking her head rapidly, Nia hugged herself. "**I cannot _believe_ this**!" Her English must have confused them. "**Nope! No, no! It was only just a dream~**!" They must have been even more confused when she started singing.

"_Um_... What did she say?" Miroku asked.

"I think she's speaking English," Kagome replied, which sent her friends into more confusion. The girl returned her attention to Nia. She placed a comforting hand on the foreigner's shoulder. "**Please calm down**." Her English was awkward and heavily accented. However, the girl seemed to understand just fine. She breathed in deeply before releasing it. "**What is your name**?"

"Uh… Nia… Dodson…"

"**How did you… came here**?"

"Okay, stop. I can understand Japanese, so you don't have to stress yourself," Nia stated. Kagome looked far more relieved than she should have. "Anyway, I don't know how I got here."

"Nia… My name is Higurashi Kagome. We will not hurt you," the schoolgirl stated. "This is Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango, and Shippo." She gestured to said person as she mentioned their name. "I think you're from my time." Nia only shrugged, having no idea when she was. "We are in the Feudal Era. Do you really not know how you got here?"

"I don't have a clue," she responded. "Before, I was in my home, watching-" She stopped, wondering if it was a good idea to tell them a mind blowing thing. Nah, they didn't really need to know. "Well, it's not important. But all of a sudden, I find myself here."

"Where is your home? America?" Kagome asked.

"Yeah…"

"Was there some type of well?

"A well…?"

"Yes, that is how I came to this time—by the well near my house."

"No, there was nothing like that. I was sitting on my couch, and then I was here," Nia explained. "But maybe… this well of yours can take me back?" Not really. She was needed the excuse to travel with the group. Are you kidding? _As if_ she would pass up this chance! Dream or not, she was going to have her fun. "Could I, perhaps, stay in your companion and try this well thing out?"

"Good idea," Kagome nodded her head.

"_Ha_! Naïve girl!" Nia thought, hiding a smirk.

"Just wait a minute…!" Inuyasha was not so naïve. His gold eyes glared down at her. He was sitting on a tree branch. Obviously, he didn't view her as a threat. She was just a human, after all. Still, her appearance made him wary of her presence. Only demons could maybe have that skin tone, and he hadn't seen it himself. However, she was no demon. Unless of course she was hiding it. There were those who could hide their demonic traits. But in doing so, they also hide their scent, too. So, this must have been a human—a strange looking one. That didn't matter. What mattered what that none of them knew a thing about her. She could even be after the jewel shards. Humans were just as terrible as demons, after all. "There is no way I'm allowing a complete stranger to travel with us!"

"But I'm not a stranger, Inuyasha," the girl replied. "I just told you my name."

"A smartass, _eh_?" the half-demon growled out. "I don't like you, and I don't trust you."

"And why should I trust you?" Nia asked coolly. She stood up. "You, out of everyone here, look the most dangerous." Inuyasha flinched. "Claws, silver hair, golden eyes, dog ears—no one looks like that where I come from. At least, I was trying to be nice." She narrowed her own eyes up at the half demon. "It would have been rude to ask _what_ you, and this little thing, are. So I decided to keep my mouth shut. However, now that it's up for questioning, just what the hell are you?"

"Inuyasha!" Kagome exclaimed. "Sit boy!" Just like that, the half-demon came crashing down. Without so much as a glance over her shoulder, the schoolgirl returned her attention to Nia. "Sorry about him. Anyway, there are demons in this time period. It's scary, but it's normal to come across demons. Shippo is also a demon—a young one."

"I see."

"You're not going to question it anymore?" Kagome asked.

"Why should I? I'm not from around here or this time, so questioning the norm would be silly," Nia replied with a shrug. "I just want to go home."

"You're quite the wise person," Miroku remarked. She turned to him. "Only a fool wouldn't be able to see it."

"No, I just watch and fantasize a lot." She placed her hands on her hips. "So can I go with you guys to this well or not?"

"It wouldn't be right to just leave you by yourself," Sango stated.

"Yeah, it's okay. Inuyasha will just have to deal with it," Kagome nodded her head. "Don't worry, we'll help you out the best we can."

"Thank you so much," Nia bowed her head. _"This is going to be so much fun,"_ she thought, grinning.

0-0

Yawning quietly, Nia stretched out similar to a cat before standing. The ground had been so uncomfortable to sleep on. It was already morning. She seemed to be the only one awake. Despite agreeing to let her be in the group, the five slept away from her. She felt isolated all by herself a few feet away. Still, it was natural they were slightly uneasy with her sudden appearance. Nia shivered a bit. It had been a cold night, filled with tossing and turning. How did Kagome do it? Wearing that skirt like it was as hot as the devil's balls—truly the girl was a bit crazy, right? Nia would rather get shot at than go without wearing pants. This weather was not okay. Well, she supposed it was better than Ohio's weather.

The foreigner stood up and picked up her glasses. She then rubbed at her eyes. Once she was sure, there were free from the eye boogers, she began to walk. Kagome had told her last night that there was a river nearby. She couldn't go on without washing her face. The others would probably think she was angry. Her face tended to be puffy when she woke up. Only water would relax it. Nia placed her glasses on her face.

Before she could get very far, Inuyasha jumped down, from who knows where, and landed right in front of her. "Where do you think you're going?" he asked. Clearly, he was suspicion. "And what happened to your face?"

"I'm going to wash it, you imbecile!" Nia pushed him aside. She also tended to be cranky in the mornings, too. "Leave me alone before I bust a cap in your ass!" She stomped away, leaving Inuyasha in confusion. Nia touched her left cheek. He didn't have to sound so surprised when asking about her face. It wasn't her fault. It was probably genetic.

True to her word, there was a thin river flowing. Nia looked back. She could still tell where she had come from. That was good. Getting lost would not have gone over well for her. She knelt down near the river's edge. Her fingers touched the water. It was cold. Shrugging, she dipped both hands in. Leaning forward, she splashed herself in the face. "Crap…!" Nia muttered. She then removed her glasses. She had forgotten to take them off and now they were wet. Never mind that now. She would dry them later.

Nia rubbed at her face, making sure to get every part. She mouthed her lips, nose, and eyebrows, trying to get the feeling back. Finally, she was satisfied. Next, she focused on her glasses. As she dried them, she thought about her circumstances. Surely, she had become unconscious several times since arriving. Obviously, this wasn't a dream. She really was in the universe of _Inuyasha_. What was she going to do? Not that she wasn't excited, but what was going to happen to her? Did she have some type of purpose here? She was hoping for a no. Sure, meeting the characters of the show was cool, but fighting and getting hurt was not was she was looking for. Besides, who was going to take care of her dog?

The young woman sighed heavily. Already, she was beginning to wish Inuyasha was here. She would feel at bit more secure if she knew where her dog was. "Hey…!" A voice made Nia flinched. She almost fell into the river. She stood, putting her glasses back on, and turned around. It couldn't have been a hungry demon, hoping to devour her. No demon would call out 'hey,' and expect the victim not to scream and run. Most likely, they would be sneaky. "Why do you smell like Kagome?"

Nia blinked in surprise. _"Koga…"_ she thought. She was surprised to see him and his wolfy glory. "Uh… We're kinda friends?"

"Friends, _huh_?" The wolf demon crossed his arms. His blue eyes narrowed. "Why haven't I seen you around them before then?"

"New addition," she answered. Were all demons suspicious? Sure, she looked quite different for a human that they're seen, but this was getting ridiculous. "You are also a friend of Kagome's?"

"No! My name is Koga and she's my woman!"

Nia found herself smirking. This should be fun, she thought. "Oh…?" she murmured, innocently. Her hands locked behind her back. "Are you sure about that? I mean, Inuyasha also said that Kagome was his woman."

"WHAT?"

"One of you must be lying, _eh_?" Nia went on as she didn't hear the loud outburst from the wolf.

"You…" he growled. "What do you know?"

"Everything," Nia answered, stepping closer to the demon. Her grin was quite cheeky. Koga found himself to be getting uncomfortable. "I know everything about anything. I also know you have jewel shards, Koga." She began to circle him. "You're not just strong. You're smart, too, which is why you're the leader of your pack." His head snapped to the side.

"How do you know that?" Koga asked. Finally, Nia stopped circling him. "What's your name?"

"My name is Nia," she answered. She stopped right in front of him. She stood on her tip toes. Their noses almost touched. "Now, what's your real question?"

"Why do you look so different?" he asked.

"Ah, yes… I'm a foreigner… from overseas."

"Overseas…?"

"_Yup_. There's a lot of people who look different like me."

For a moment, Koga didn't respond. Nia returned to standing feet flat on the ground. He must have been intrigued. Mentally, the young woman rolled her eyes. She couldn't wait until everyone shifted away from this awkward part of introductions. Seriously, she was in great need of ice breakers. Without saying a word, Nia sidestepped the wolf demon and began to head back to where the gang was. For a moment, she was alone, but then she heard footsteps behind her. "You're following me _because_?" She glanced back.

"I came to see my woman," Koga answered. "Not have small talk with a foreigner!"

"Oh," Nia said. "I kinda feel sorry for you. Chasing after an unwillingly woman must be hard, right?"

"Shut up! You know nothing!"

"Of course, of course," Nia yawned again. Pretty soon, she was back where she starting. Expectedly, Inuyasha was shouting.

"Where the hell is that girl?"

"Inuyasha, I had no idea you cared so much for me!" Nia clasped her hands together. The half-demon whirled around with a snarl. He then grimaced at the affectionate look he was receiving from the new person of the group. "I'll return your care from this moment on!"

"You really don't have to do that," Inuyasha muttered. He almost inched away. "Anyway! Don't go picking up stray wolves! We don't need the company!"

"Pipe down!" Nia lost her loving eyes. "He's the one who followed me."

"What are you doing here, Koga?" Inuyasha focused on the wolf demon. The demon merely brushed pass him and went straight to Kagome. As expected, he grabbed her hands and said sweet nothings to her. The schoolgirl chuckled nervously at the attention. Inuyasha's face went red in anger. Nia held up three fingers, causing Miroku, Sango, and Shippo to stare at her in confusion. One by one, the fingers went down. The foreigner shot her hands in the air and made an explosion like sound with her mouth. As if cued, Inuyasha be yelling at Koga, breaking the contact the wolf demon had with Kagome.

The rest sweated nervously.

"Right on cue," Nia murmured. They watched the two males argue for a full five minutes. Finally, the foreigner couldn't take it anymore. She looked to Kagome. It appeared as though she had no intention of stopping it this time around. Scowling, Nia clenched fists at her sides. It was time to take matters into her own hands. She cleared her thought, breathed in, and then out. She opened her mouth again. "Guys, I sense the power of the sacred jewel!" Her intention was to sound just like Kagome. Apparently, it worked. The two ended their verbal spar and began looking around, asking where. Nia snickered a bit.

"Wait a moment… You can sense the shards as well?" Miroku asked.

"What? No way," Nia answered, laughing. Hearing her, the two demons turned and glared. "I just wanted to stop their fighting."

"WHAT?" Their shout was in unison. Nia went on laughing, not realizing that she had slipped up. Because of that, Kagome was now looking at her with suspicious eyes.

"Hold on a minute," she started. The others turned their attention to her. "How do you know about the sacred jewel? I didn't mention it." The rest of the gang stiffened in realization. If she was from Kagome's time, she wouldn't know a thing about. Nia knew she was in trouble. Luckily, she was a quick thinker.

She tilted her head to the side, looking confused. "You mean there's no such thing as the Shikon Jewel in your time?" Her question was focused on Kagome. "Maybe we're not from the same time period, after all."

"What do you mean?"

"In my time, we have celebrations about the Legend of the Jewel. Everyone knows about it. Like I said, it's a legend that says the jewel can provide people with extraordinary powers. It's just a legend, though, so people often make jokes about it like I just did."

"Huh…? That doesn't sound right. No one knows about the jewel in my time."

"Everyone knows about it—the whole world! You're not making sense, Kagome!"

"My head is starting to hurt," Shippo complained. "Are you from the same time or not?"

"I guess we're not…" Kagome murmured.

"Well, this is awkward," Nia remarked. "I guess it would be a waste of time to go to the well." She put on a sad face. "Then what's going to happen to me?" No one said anything. Most did not understand, while others could answer her.

"_Um_… You could still travel with us, Nia," Kagome gave a smile. "Your knowledge of the jewel could help us out. You see, we're searching for the shards."

"I… I don't mind. It's not like I have anywhere else to do." Her eyes were focused on the ground. Internally, she was grinning evilly. _"Foolish anime characters!"_ she thought. A chibi version of herself laughed with haughty undertones. _"My acting skills are truly superb!"_ A hand rested on her shoulder. It was Sango. The demon slayer wore a friendly smile.

"I understand how you're feeling, Nia," she said. "Let's get along from now on, alright?" Nia returned the smile with a nod of her head. Inuyasha huffed and crossed his arms.

"Don't _I_ get a say in this?" he asked.

"No," Sango and Kagome replied. The half-demon grumbled very bad words to himself.

"I don't know what the heck's going on. Whatever, I'm leaving!" Koga announced. His blue eyes glanced at Nia. _"Something's strange about the girl. I can't tell if she's lying… Her little explanation didn't explain how she knew about the shards I have. I don't trust it,"_ he thought. He turned his eyes to Kagome. "But since she seems to be on Kagome's good side, then I'll let it pass for now." The wolf demon patted the schoolgirl's shoulder. "I'll see _you_ later!"

"Like hell you will!" Inuyasha growled. Ignoring him, the wolf demon took her running. "Good riddance!" he called out after him.

"Well, are we going hunting of what?" Nia asked once it got quiet.

"Hunting for what?" Kagome asked.

"Jewel shards, what else?" Nia said as if it were the most obvious thing on the planet. "I'm ready to get it started!"


	3. Chapter 3

"Why am I even _doing_ this?" Inuyasha yelled. "We're _supposed_ to be looking for more jewel shards! You're a distraction, Nia!"

"Oh, Inuyasha, you know you _like_ it!" Nia smirked as the half-demon blushed. "And besides, we've been searching for jewel shards for three weeks straight. I say it's time to have some _fun_!" Nia was teaching the gang how they dance in her time. Miroku _loved_ it! The foreign woman crossed her arms, eyes focused on the two couples. She had instructed them on where to place their hands and how to move. Come to think of it, Nia wasn't aware of how she got them to follow along—especially Inuyasha and Sango. She walked over to Inuyasha and Kagome. "No, no, put your hands lower! Right here." Almost annoyed, Nia forcefully put Inuyasha's hands on Kagome's waist. Both blushed bright red. "See, look at Sango and Miroku. They're the perfect example. If I didn't know any better, I would think they had already done the deed!"

"Done the deed?" It was Sango's turn to blush. Embarassed, she pushed her dance partner away. "What are you saying, Nia?" The older female only grinned, wriggling her eyebrows. Scoffing, the demon slayer sharply turned her head and crossed her arms. "You're almost as bad as Miroku!"

"Dearest Sango, I'm truly hurt by your words." The monk feigned sadness. Sango snorted at his attempt to make her feel guilty.

"Miroku and Sango can stop, but Inuyasha and Kagome needs to keep going. You're, so uptight, dog boy," Nia commented. Inuyasha lifted his middle finger. "Here let me show you! _Ah_, wait; I don't have a partner..."

"I will _gladly_ be your partner, Nia," Miroku said with a perverted smirk.

"Uh… tempting, but no. I rather like having a strong friend and ally," Nia replied. "You just stick to Sango." Said demon slayer glared at the monk. Miroku gulped. "But who could I have as a partner?"

"How about we just stop doing this?" Inuyasha growled. "This is stupid!"

"Inuyasha…! You have hurt my feelings! Do you know what this is doing with my self-esteem?"

"Inu_yasha_!" Kagome hissed.

"She's _faking_!"

"You can't prove that, Inuyasha," Nia muttered.

The half-demon learned quite awhile ago that Nia took on different characters to get her way. Naturally, he threw a fit and yelled at her for a couple of minutes. Nia had just stood there and took it. But when he ordered her not to do it ever again, she just smacked his forehead away. He had never wanted to hit a woman so much in his life. "_Keh_…!" The half-demon's eye twitched. He tried to ignore that smug look the foreign woman was giving him.

"Hey, I sense jewel shards coming this way really fast!" Kagome said suddenly. Her dance partner growled a bit.

"Damn wolf," Inuyasha showed his teeth. It was definitely not a smile. It was just another person sent to annoy the hell out of him. Hearing, his insult, Nia perked up.

"Koga's coming?" she said. She smiled. "Maybe he can be my partner!" Said wolf prince appeared not a second later.

"Kagome, my darling, are you ready to-"

Nia grabbed onto his ponytail and pulled, causing Koga's head to snap back. The wolf demon rounded on her, looking livid. "_You_ can be my partner!" Nia exclaimed. She completely ignored his look of rage. "Follow my voice," she told him. The foreign woman pressed her back against Koga's chest plate.

"What are you-?" The wolf leader stopped. He was surprised that Nia boldly directed his hands on her waist. She turned her head slightly, and then smirked. To his astonishment, Koga found his face growing hot.

"Follow my voice and body," she said again. Nia turned her head, no longer focused on him. "Let's have some fun. This beat is sick, I wanna take a ride on your disco stick!" As continued to sing, she moved provocatively against the demon. Koga's eyes widen as his body went rigid. "This is how you do it, Kagome." Nia suddenly turned, wrapping her arms around Koga's neck. She began to sing again. She stared into blue eyes, willing the wolf leader to follow. Gradually, Koga began to compliment her movements. He swallowed hard, pressing her against him several times. The two continued to lock gazes. Nia had become unaware of her students. Koga had become unaware that they were no longer moving. The two stood there, not saying a word. Their expressions were oddly apathetic.

"Like this, Nia?" Kagome looked up. "Nia…?" The foreigner snapped out of a daze, and turned to her. "Like this?" she repeated. The older woman shook his head a bit.

"Ah, yeah, just like that—good job." She released the wolf demon and stood a few inches away. "Well, I think that's enough. That sure was fun!" She clapped her hands and grinned. "You and Inuyasha got a whole lot better once you actually paid attention!" Kagome giggled lightly, trying to fight her growing blush. She failed miserably.

"Hey, I don't like the way dog-turd is holding my woman!" Koga snapped out of his daze, too. Nia turned to him, frowning.

"Hey, don't mess up my plans!" she yanked on his ponytail again, causing the wolf demon to yelp. "Besides, I don't hear any complaints from 'your woman.' And did you forget that you're holding me the same way?" Koga huffed and crossed his arms.

"That's different!" he exclaimed.

"Sure, sure," Nia replied with a shrug. She turned her back to him, choosing to walk away. Koga watched her go with his eyes narrowed.

"Hey, Koga, is there a reason why you're here?"

"No," he said, and then took off, leaving a whirlwind in his wake.

"That wolf gets weirder every time I see 'em," Inuyasha muttered. His nose twitched, and so did his ears. His eyebrows furrowed together. He recognized this presence all too well. "Everyone, get back now!" His hand pulled out his giant sword, brandishing it in the direction of where the newcomer was set to arrive.

"What? Why?" Kagome asked.

"Sesshomaru," Inuyasha growled.

Nia smiled brightly. "Sesshomaru?" she screeched in excitement. "**Get the hell outta my way**!" She pushed Inuyasha aside and took his place. Sparkles seemed to have replaced her eyes. said getting excited "**Where is that delicious piece of man meat**?" Most had no idea what she had said, but they were still freaked out.

"What the hell is wrong with her, Kagome?" Inuyasha yelled, pointing his finger.

"Uh, she might've been dropped as a child," the schoolgirl answered. Luckily, Nia did not hear such a comment. If she had, there would have been blood. Coolly, Sesshomaru, brother of Inuyasha, walked into the clearing. He appeared as indifferent as usual.

"Inuyasha," he greeted.

"What the hell do-"

"There's that stud of a man!" Nia cheered, throwing her arm up. "Would you look at that sex on legs? I would let him do unspeakable things to me!"

"Nia…!" Sango shouted. Her face resembled a tomato. The older woman only giggled hysterically and held her flushed cheeks. She was practically leering at the demon lord. A delicate eyebrow twitched before cold golden eyes narrowed in her direction.

"What are you?" Sesshomaru questioned. "Your tongue, appearance, and mannerisms are different. Tell me what you are." Nia rapidly shook her head. Acting like an animal in heat in the presence of the demon lord was an unsightly thing. She cleared her throat.

"My, my, you get distracted easily, don't you, Lord Sesshomaru?" she asked. "Come to take your brother's life, or-"

"Would you shut up?" Inuyasha yelled. "And quit asking silly questions! It's _obvious_ that he sees me as a threat."

"Hardly," Sesshomaru and Nia scoffed.

"Hey, what the hell do you mean 'Hardly?' You're supposed to be on my side!"

"Yeah, but your brother is so much more attractive," Nia stated. "Oh man, he's so gorgeous!" The demon in question suddenly appeared in front of her. The gang stiffened, worried if their new friend was going to die. Nia froze simply because she knew she might have wrapped her arms around him if she didn't. "**You're sexier up close**!"

"It is obvious that you are human." His eyes narrowed. "Yet you have a peculiar scent."

"I'd like to smell you, too."

"N-N-NIA!" Kagome sputtered out. "Stop doing that!"

"Doing what?" She glanced back.

"**Fl-Flirting**!"

"It's not flirting," Nia stated. "It's seduction."

"You idiot!"

"Enough," Sesshomaru reached forward, gripping her shoulder. Nia gasped loudly. She felt herself flushing. She almost took a step back.

"Sesshomaru, right here, in front of everyone?" Although her tone was innocent, her eyes continued to leer up at the tall demon.

"NIA!"

"_Back_ off!" Nia hissed indignantly. She turned back to the dog demon. "Don't mind them, Lord Sesshomaru."

"Your tongue is most vulgar," he remarked.

"Yeah, it is quite dirty. I wouldn't mind if you helped me clean it."

"NIA!"

"SHUT UP!" Nia whirled around, flipping her middle finger up at the group. "You're being a twat swatter, Kagome!"

"It is disrespectful to turn your back on me, human."

"Forgive me, forgive me! Where are my manners?" She turned back around. "_Eh_, but please don't call me human like it's an insult. That's just rude." Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes.

"Your tone with me is most insolent," he said. "Do you not know who I am, human?"

"Yes, I do know who you are. Still, being human is not an insult, so you shouldn't use that word as such," Nia said. The attraction she had for him was slowly diminishing. She liked him better when he didn't speak. That was best Sesshomaru. Well, his voice was sexy, too. Okay, so perhaps, she _did_ like it when he spoke. She briefly wondered what it was like to be pressed against a wall and Sesshomaru's hard chest. He would lightly growl in that deep voice of his, and then nip at her earlobe. _"I really need to stop before I have a nosebleed in front of everyone,"_ Nia thought, inching away.

"This woman is…" Sesshomaru's nose twitched. One eyebrow shot up for the briefest of moments. He grabbed a hold of the foreigner again. "I have questions," he stated.

"Alright, how about you take me away for awhile and **let me blow your mind**~!" Nia smirked, and stepped closer.

"NIA~~!" Kagome's face was bright red at this point. Whether she was more angry or embarrassed was tough to call. This time, the foreign woman chose to ignore the schoolgirl.

"Very well. Follow me." Sesshomaru turned on his heel, expecting the woman to follow him. She did so without protest. The grin plastered on her face was quite perverted.

"I cannot _believe this_!" Kagome screeched. "Why would she leave with him?"

"She's your friend!" Inuyasha retorted. A withering glare was directed at the half-demon. "Do-Don't worry, though. Sesshomaru won't hurt her." His gold eyes settled on his brother's departing back. It wasn't because he trusted him. There was no way the two brothers would ever trust each other. However, it had been weeks since Nia's arrival. Inuyasha had already claimed her as a part of his pack. His scent was now mixed and a part of hers, and everyone else in the group. If Sesshomaru were to seriously harm or kill her, both of them what it meant. A declaration of war. That was something neither side wanted or needed. "She'll be back. Once he becomes annoyed with her."

"I hope you're right," Kagome murmured.


	4. Chapter 4

At incredible speeds, Koga ran. He had been doing this for quite some time. His loyal followers had actually stopped trying to keep up with him at this point. His legs ached, and yet he pushed himself. He was conflicted. For some unfathomable reason, he could not get that strange woman out of his head. Once again, Koga squeezed his eyes shut. It was irritating. That smirk of hers was irritating. Her eyes were irritating. Her body was… The wolf prince bit his lip. It was not enough to cause bleeding, though. His eyes shot open as he slid to a stop.

He sighed out, and then stared aimlessly at the ground beneath him. There was no use denying it. The woman was physically attractive… in a strange way. It did not worry him that he found her—Nia, was her name, right?—attractive. He had come across many women who were considered quite beautiful, even more so than Kagome. He had been attracted to each and every one of them. However, he did not think of them for more than ten minutes. Koga narrowed his eyes. "Why is she so different?" he murmured. He looked to the sky as if the vast area would give him the answer. Slowly, the wolf demon closed his eyes, neck still stretched up.

An image of the foreigner appeared in his mind's eye. Then, the memory of her rubbing against his body came back to him. Again, his cheeks warmed. Koga sighed again. Where were his priorities? He shook his head and slapped his cheeks. "The real problem is how she knew about me in the first place!" Koga told himself. He roughly sat down, folding his legs, on the grassy field. He gripped both of his knees.

_I know everything about anything._

Subconsciously, the wolf demon licked his lips as he remembered her words. Maybe the woman was some type of clairvoyant. There were humans with extraordinary abilities. Kagome was a prime example. Still, Kagome didn't know _everything_. Unless his woman told the foreigner about the jewel shards in his legs, there was no way she could possibly have known. _"If she was telling the truth, then maybe I can use her,"_ he thought. Clearly, the woman wasn't as attached to Inuyasha as Kagome seemed to be. If he made her a deal, there was a high chance that the woman would take it. Inside his mouth, his tongue glided over his front upper teeth. "Yeah," he decided. "I'll make her my personal seer. She'll be able to find Naraku and Kagura, no problem, right?"

0-0

Nia's back slammed against a tree. She groaned out. That had been more painful that she expected it to be. Her hazel eyes stared up at the cause of her pain. As always, his expression was impassive. "Hey, hey, hey… If you're going to use force, then be a bit gentler. I _am_ human, ya know! It's my first time with a demon."

"Enough of your perverse words, woman," Sesshomaru replied. "Tell me where you come from."

"And if I don't?" She narrowed her eyes in defiance.

"I will resort to punishing."

"_Ooh_, Sessho!" Nia cupped her cheeks in her palms and winked at the demon lord. "You're so naughty! I haven't been _spanked_ before! But please, make sure little Rin doesn't hear!" Sesshomaru was finding it very hard not to wrap his poison claws around her neck. Then a thought occurred to him.

"You know of my ward?"

"Well, of course," Nia answered, dropping her hands to her sides. "She's so adorable. A lot of people want her."

"What? Tell me who these people are."

"… Calm down. They're only fans. No one is seriously gonna kidnap her. Besides, they're from a completely different ti-" She stopped, wishing she hadn't said anything in the first place. Sesshomaru's right eyebrow went up, telling her he had become curious.

"What is it that you were going to say?" he questioned. Nia schooled her expression so that she looked innocent.

"Nothing. It's not important." Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes, not believing her in the slightest. "Seriously, it's not important." Nia cleared her thought, closing her eyes for a moment. "Now, are you going to _let me blow your mind_?"

"Answer my inquiry, human. Where do you come from?" Sesshomaru was beginning to lose his patience with this cheeky woman.

"I told you five minutes ago," she answered with a sigh.

"There is no such place as… Amirika."

Nia almost began laughing. Hearing a guy like Sesshomaru incorrectly pronounce a word was hilarious. Surely, it wouldn't be in her best interest to laugh in his face, though. A premature death is not what she was looking for. "America," she corrected. "And of course you haven't heard of it. It probably hasn't been named yet."

"Your riddles are beginning to annoy me," the demon took a step closer. Nia merely crossed her arms.

"Well, your detachment is beginning to annoy me!" She scoffed lightly. "Honestly, it's like you're gay or something."

"Excuse me? What about my expression is happy?" Sesshomaru asked. Nia's mouth dropped open. Her eyebrows furrowed in slight confusion. Then it dawned on her.

"No, I didn't mean happy," she told him. Now that she thought about it, there was a chance—however slight—that he was homosexual. What a waste, she thought, trying to keep the dismay from her face. But she had to be sure before she attacked him. "I meant… Well, are you attracted to… the same gender?" For the life of her, Nia could not read his expression. Then his lips twitched. He was not trying to keep from smiling.

"How dare you imply such a thing?" His fingers had wrapped around her neck, seriously wanting to crush her esophagus. She was trapped between a tree and a very angry demon. A nervous wreck, Nia trembled under his gaze. He wasn't squeezing her neck just yet, but it was still quite scary. Why were men _so_ sensitive about their sexuality? Then again, this was a time where such a thing barely existed. Of course it had to exist, but no one talked about it. She was sure of that. And to insinuate that a powerful demon such as Sesshomaru was sexually attracted to males must have been a blow to his pride. Her mother always said she didn't think things through… until after the bad consequences happened. Nia sighed in thought. How was she going to get out of this one?

"It was only a question," she replied in an aloof tone. Thank the heavens she had had to portray a character such as this in her career. All she had to do was tweak the role to fit this situation. "There is no need to get upset."

"You try to show dominance, human?" Clearly, the demon was still upset for he had now begun squeezing. Nia was lifted off the ground. He was more or less trying to kill her. Still, she couldn't help but think how big he was compared to his hand. Truly, a perverted girl. "Scream. Isn't that something all of you do?" His grip became tighter. It was getting harder and harder to keep her calm façade. Inside, she was boiling mad. The fact that he tried to dominant her _without permission_ pissed her right the fuck off. Never before had she felt such rage toward another.

Sesshomaru's hair began to stand on end. He could feel something coursing through his system. It was tiny, though. He had felt this before. Once, he had reached out to his ward, intending to pat her head. However, as soon as he touched her hair, he had recoiled. It was like a spark. Now, the same thing was happening with this woman. Only this time, there were many of these sparks. The demon lord focused his attention back to the strange woman. He noted that her hair had trips of white now. Her eyes had become so clouded that they appeared milky white. _"Impossible," _he thought. She was human. No human had the power to change their appearance like this. In fact, only higher level demons could transform their appearance. Without warning, the sky darkened as if the day had gone to night. Thunder was heard rumbling in the distance. Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes, yet did not release his captive. _"Is this her doing? How? What is she?"_ Before he could ponder further, lightning struck only a few centimeters away from him.

He quickly jumped away. Not a moment later, lightning struck again in the spot he had previously been standing. "You want me to scream…?" Her voice brought Sesshomaru's attention back to the woman. She stood, fists clenched and head bowed. "Sorry, I won't allow any man to make me scream using that kind of force." Once more, lightning struck. This time, he could not avoid it. He stood, frozen in place for several seconds. Then he unceremoniously fell back.

His abrupt action caused Nia's head to snap up. She blinked several times, unaware that her appearance had changed or had changed back. Her focus was on the unmoving demon. She hesitantly called out his name. There was no reply. Somehow, she felt as though something major just happened. Her eyes looked up. The sky had returned to being bright blue. Her gaze found Sesshomaru's body again. Almost timidly, she moved over to the demon. Once more, she called his name. And once more she didn't receive an answer. Nia nudged the seemingly unconscious demon with her foot. There was no reaction. His eyes were wide open, yet his pupils were dilated. His lips were parted, causing him to appear a bit horrified. It was weird. Now, any sensible person would have began freaking out and contemplating their new life as a killer. Not Nia Dodson! Despite the situation, a grin stretch across her face.

"Lord Sesshomaru," she whispered as she knelt down beside him. Her hands came together in front her chest. Her cheeks warmed the longer she stared down at him. "If you do not want me to violate your body, speak now or forever hold your peace." Nia waited a moment. Still, there was no reaction. "_Ehehehehehehe_," she laughed as she rubbed her palms together. "**Well, **_**obviously**_** we have a **_**rapist**_** in Feudal Japan. I'm climbing in your windows, shocking yo people up! Trying to rape 'em, so y'all need to hide yo lips, hide yo ass! Hide yo lips, hide yo ass! Hide yo lips, hide yo ass! And hide yo nipples cuz I'm raping the sexy ones out here**!" After singing, Nia cackled gleefully, and then refocused her attention back on the unsuspecting demon.

She moved her body over his, which were placed near the sides of his head, held her up. Her knees lightly pressed against the sides his armored torso. Her bounded braided hair had hung over her shoulder and touched the demon's exposed shoulder. "**Please excuse me, I don't need to be rude**!" she sang again. "**But tonight I'm fucking you**!" She leaned down and closed her eyes. Pausing briefly, she let another giggle escape her lips, completely unaware that Sesshomaru had regained consciousness by this time.

"What are you doing?"

Despite the question, Sesshomaru knew exactly what the woman on top of him intended to do. His eyes narrowed, watching the woman rear her head back, looking slightly mortified—slightly. Really, she looked more disappointed than anything. Was everyone like this in Amirika? Hastily, she removed herself from his body. A delicate eyebrow twitched. Sesshomaru sat up, keeping his eyes on the strange woman. One moment, he had been watching her, and the next moment he was waking up with her hovering over him. She had attacked him out of fear, he assumed. Slowly, the demon lord stood up. She remained on the ground, eyes averted to the side. "I wonder if I'm going to die." Her hazel eyes returned to his form.

"I won't kill you… unless you continue with your absurd actions."

"_Hm_…"

"Now, does every have the same power as you in your homeland?"

"Power…?"

"Surely you don't think that display of lightning was a coincidence."

"To tell you the truth…" She rubbed the back of her head. Again, she had shifted her gaze away.

"Pitiful human."

"Anyway, to answer your question, no. Ordinary humans can't do that. But seeing as how I'm a mutant and all."

"A what?"

"Mutant—a genetically mutated human." Nia crossed her arms. "Actually, I only started calling myself that after I watched that _X-Men_ thing."

"Again, your riddles are irritating."

"When I was younger," Nia began to explain, ignoring the demon's comment. "I used to shock people with static electricity. I told my mom about it, but she said to try not to do it again. So naturally, I stopped touching people. Then, once I hit the teenage years, I _had_ to touch people again. Luckily, nothing like that ever happened again. Seventeen is the age I created my first spark. My uncle actually hit me! The _nerve_ of that guy! Anyway, he told me to never do it again. But I never forgot about it, and so after seeing Storm from the X-Men, I started calling myself a mutant."

"You've only succeeded in causing my irritation."

"What I just did, though, has never happened before. Kinda cool. You may now refer to me as Static Shock, Queen of Lightning and Thunder."

Sesshomaru chose to ignore her proclamation of status. His brows knitted together. This did not bode well. Despite her strange words, he understood that she hadn't shown the intensity of her power before now. She was like a young demon. She would be more dangerous to those around her than enemies. Did Inuyasha know of this? Most likely the whelp did not. His half power did not have the patience or skill to teach the woman to control her power either. If harnessed correctly, she could be a potential ally for his idiotic brother. "You will remain with me as a temporary companion," his toneless voice halted the woman's mini rant. Her eyes held a certain gleam that he had seen in her eyes before. Obviously, she was thinking of something wicked again.

"_Companion_?" she repeated. "Oh, Sesshomaru, you naughty dog, you!"

"Whilst in my presence, you are to refer to me as Lord Sesshomaru," he went on. "Also, you will learn under me."

"Oh, am I hoping to!"

"You will also do as I say when I say it. Am I clear?"

"Crystal, _master_~!"

"Very well," Sesshomaru said. "I will tell Inuyasha of your decision. You are to wait here for my return." It was then he sensed Ah-Un, a silly name Rin had decided to call him, flying above. Good, he had come when called. Moments later, the two-headed demon landed near him. The woman stared, eyes wide in amazement. Lucky for him, she had become distracted. It had felt as though she had been undressing him with her eyes. It was an uncomfortable feeling to have. Sesshomaru turned to his loyal demon follower. Jaken hopped off his bed, followed by his ward. "Jaken, stay with Rin." A squawking confirmation reached his ears.

"But Lord Sesshomaru, who is this human?" he asked.

"She is a new addition. She will be traveling with us for a time."

"_That's what he said about the last human addition,"_ Jaken gave a mental sigh.

"Lord Sesshomaru…!" The little human girl stood in front of him. "What's her name?" She peeked from behind him.

"My name is Nia. It's a pleasure to meet you, Rin!" The woman walked over and bent over, hands on her knees. She gave the small child a smile. "I hope we get along."

"You look really strange. Are you a demon?" Rin asked.

"No, no—nothing like that."

"Jaken, I'll leave it to you."

"Yes, my lord!"

Out of the corner of her eye, Nia watched the tall demon go. _"Not that I'm complaining, but why exactly am I traveling with this guy?"_ she thought. Deciding to ask later, she returned her full attention to the girl in front of her. "Hey, Rin, you want to play a game with me?"

"Game?"

"Yes. It's called _Jumping Charades_."

0-0

Inuyasha's brow twitched in annoyance. Kagome had been pacing nonstop for about an hour. Every so often she would sigh _loudly_ and glance in his direction. The half-demon did his best to ignore her pointed stare. He knew what she wanted. In this situation, there was almost nothing he could do. Nia would return with Sesshomaru as soon as he was done. The curious bastard probably wanted to question her origin. Inuyasha's knee shook. Despite his medium tolerance for Nia, he begrudgingly admitted that he was beginning to worry. Sesshomaru wouldn't really kill her, would he? With the woman's questionable actions towards his older _half_ brother, the possibility of her dying by his hand was high.

Kagome wasn't the only one anxious. Miroku and Sango occasionally stared in the direction where Nia and Sesshomaru had disappeared. Shippo was… Wait, where was Shippo? "Hey, Inuyasha!" The little ball of fluff jumped on his head. The half-demon put on a sour expression. Speaking of the little tyke… "When are you going to get off your lazy behind and find Nia?" Inuyasha scoffed and crossed his arms.

"She's the one who willingly went off with him! What do you expect _me_ to do?"

"Something…!" Shippo retorted with a glare. "Everyone's so worried."

"_Not_ me!" Inuyasha lied. "So shut up and deal with it." In retaliation, Shippo tried to growl. "Look, if she's not back by the time the sun reaches its peak, then I'll find her."

"Really, Inuyasha?" Kagome's voice called up to him. As usually, she was eavesdropping.

"_Yes_!" he replied, exasperated.

"That makes me feel so much better!" the schoolgirl cried, placing a hand over her heart. "So in about an hour, Nia will be back with us." The wind shifted. Inuyasha's nose twitched.

"Maybe sooner than you think." He jumped from the tree he was perched in just as Sesshomaru made his appearance. "Sesshomaru, where is Nia? Why isn't she with you?"

"Relax, simpleton," the demon lord replied, pissing his younger brother off. "She is safe. That being said, I have come to tell you that she will be in my company until she learns to control her power."

"Power…?" Kagome murmured, confused.

"Pardon me, Lord Sesshomaru, but what do you mean?" Miroku asked.

"The woman has the power to control lightning." He chose to ignore the collective gasps that came from the group. "At her current skill level, she is highly dangerous. Someone needs to train her. Because I am intrigued, I have decided to be that someone."

"Huh…?" Inuyasha could not believe what he was hearing. "_You_ want to _train_ a _human_?"

"She is not human." Another collection of gasps were ignored. "I shall take my leave now."

"Wait, what you mean she's not human?" Inuyasha demanded to know.

"I am not quite sure," Sesshomaru admitted. Then, he continued on his way, leaving the group both astounded and confused.

0-0


	5. Chapter 5

By the time, Sesshomaru returned, Rin and Nia were both panting and giggling. Jaken did not attempt to hide his displeasure. It was his ward who first noticed his presence. "Lord Sesshomaru, you're back!" The woman turned as well. A few of her braids had come loose from her ponytail, due to rapid and excited movement. She grinned as the child left her side. "Nia and I were playing a game! It was really fun! Lord Jaken didn't want to play, though."

"Yeah, Lord Jaken is such a downer," Nia agreed with a nod. In response, the small demon nearly hissed at her. "Every party needs a pooper that's why they invited you!" She pointed a finger at the small demon. "Party pooper~!"

"Party pooper~!" Rin joined in with the little song. She also pointed a finger at Jaken. The two females giggled while he grumbled his displeasures. Rin turned her attention back to her protector. "Nia is really fun, Lord Sesshomaru!" Said foreign woman moved to stand by Rin's side.

"Don't be so modest, Rin!" she said. "You're quite the clever little girl." Nia crossed her arms and hummed. "Reminds me so much of myself when I was your age." The very thought of Rin growing up to become similar to this woman caused Sesshomaru to internally cringe. He would most definitely have to go about training this woman with haste. "Anyway, Lord Sesshomaru, I know you said I would be with you for awhile, but why exactly?"

"Not now. At the moment, you and Rin are in need of a bath," he remarked, turning his back to the two females. "Come along."

"Is he saying I stink?" Her efforts at whispering were in vain. Sesshomaru heard her quite clearly. Rin giggled lightly before answer.

"We _did_ just finish playing," she said. "Lord Jaken says that Lord Sesshomaru's sense of smell was greater than any demon's."

"_Ahh_… I wonder if sweat is _all_ he can smell." The woman had the nerve to chuckle. The sooner Sesshomaru was relieved of her presence, the better. How did his brother put up with her?

For what seemed like eternity, Nia followed behind the demon lord. This was not her idea of fun. On top of that, she still didn't understand why he wanted her. Obviously, and disappointedly, it wasn't to meet his physical needs. Finally, Sesshomaru stopped. Nia looked around. They were in a forest. She bent her body to the side, trying to see pass his tall stature. Ahead of him was a body of water—a pond. Nia grimaced at the sight. Here, she was hoping for a hot bath at Sesshomaru's luxurious castle. _If_ he even had a castle, that is. For all she knew, he could be a homeless drifter. "This is where you will clean yourself," he stated, confirming that Nia was not getting that hot bath.

"_Aww, I hope I don't get sick,"_ she thought with a frown. The foreign woman smiled then. "Are you going to bathe with us, Lord Sesshomaru?" It took a moment, but the dog demon finally replied.

"Against my better judgment," he said.

Nia had to stop herself from squealing in glee. "Lord Sesshomaru always takes baths with me!" Rin seemed happy as well, but for a totally different reason. "And Lord Jaken doesn't bathe at all!"

"No wonder," Nia remarked.

"What was that, you filthy human?"

"Lord Jaken," she murmured, turning and looking down at the demon. "I said you stink, but it's not horrendous, so no worries." Nia turned away from him, so she didn't see him raise the Staff of Two-Heads. "OUCH!" Her back was struck hard, causing her to stumble. She slammed into Sesshomaru's back. It didn't feel as good as one would expect. The demon merely turned his head, staring down at her out of the corner of his eye. Still, he did not utter a word. Nia stepped to the side and averted her eyes. _"So sexy…!"_ she thought. "I apologize, Lord Jaken. I guess that was rude of me," Nia admitted. She bowed to the smaller demon. Jaken stiffly nodded his head, accepting her apology. _"Foolish fool…!" _Nia laughed evilly inside her mind. _"How dare you hit me? Just wait until Sesshomaru's not paying attention! You will pay for your insolence!"_

Rin stepped near the water's edge. She turned to Sesshomaru. "Another hot bath, my lord?" she asked. This caused Nia's interest to spark. The demon lord had actually nodded his head. Instead of asking questions, she decided to watch him. He pulled a small bag from his sleeve. His fingers went in and pulled out a few tiny spheres. Curious, Nia watched as he dropped the spheres into the pond. To her shock, the water began to bubble. Within a few minutes, the surrounding atmosphere had gotten incredibly humid. The pond had turned into a hot spring! Those sphere things must have some sort of fire property.

"That's awesome," Nia couldn't help but comment.

"Jaken," Sesshomaru said.

"Yes, my lord." Jaken scurried off after bowing to his demon lord.

"Woman, you are to disrobe me," Sesshomaru ordered.

"**You ain't got to tell me twice**!" Nia laughed out.

"On second thought, I will do so myself."

Nia clicked her tongue in disappointment. "Oh fine," she muttered, rolling her eyes. She then focused on Rin. "How about you? Could I help?" The little girl nodded her head, smiling brightly. The foreign woman went over to undress his ward. Sesshomaru took this chance to remove his clothing and slip into the water before the woman had the chance to leer at his body. A sigh of regret entered his ears, yet he chose to ignore it and turn his back on the woman. Splashes alerted him that Rin had slipped into the water as well. "Oh, it's scented…"

"The dark pearls can clean, too! The longer you soak, the cleaner you get!" Rin supplied. She patted the water a bit. "But there is a time limit, so you should get in now, Nia! We'll be clean before you know it."

"Give me a second." Shuffling could be heard. Her strange attire fell to the ground. "Don't look, Lord Sesshomaru, no matter how tempting it is!" Her voice was full of warning. The demon lord chose not to dignify her warning with a response. "_Aww_…" She clicked her tongue again before moving into the water. She really didn't mind if Sesshomaru would turn around and look her over. Apparently acting lessons included becoming comfortable with your body because, in the words of her uncle, 'you never know if nudity will be a part of a role.' After a few moments of adjusting to the temperature, Nia opened her mouth again. "So, you want to tell me why I'm in your company?"

"Temporarily," Sesshomaru stressed. "You are in my company because as you are, you will only harm those close to you."

"… You're… worried… about your brother's wellbeing?" Nia inquired. Sesshomaru didn't respond. He probably thought how it was impossible to see through his façade. "That's the only conclusion I can come up with. Don't worry, I won't tell." She smiled and leaned back. "So you're going to train me, so I can control this mutant power of mine? I suppose that's a good idea. When do we begin?"

"As soon as possible," Sesshomaru answered. He still hadn't turned around. Although the demon lord definitely had an attractive back—Nia betted that he could pick her up and slam her against the sheets of his bed—she would like to gaze at his pectoral region as well. "I have told Inuyasha of your circumstance. I will return you to him once I deem your training complete." Nia released a heavy sigh.

"I understand, Lord Sesshomaru." She turned her back to him, placing her arms on the edge. Huffing, she rested her head on her folded arms. _"He makes it sound like I'm some object… and not the sexual kind either." _Nia closed her eyes, deep in thought. _"I wonder how long this training is going to last."_ A smirk made its way on to her face. She subconsciously nodded her head. _"Perhaps this long period is my chance to sex him up?"_ The foreign woman was unaware that her perverted chuckles had slipped out until Rin called out her name. She abruptly stopped and turned to face the little girl. "Yes?" she cleared her throat. "Did you want something?"

"Could I… play with your hair?" she asked. "It looks so different…"

"Sure, go ahead." Her grin was wide. "Just let me play with yours, too, _ne_?"

"_Ne_…!" The little girl nodded her head. Lord Sesshomaru never played, or went anywhere near her, when they took baths together. It was going to be great having a big sister around.

0-0

Six months.

It had taken exactly six month for Nia to realize how much she despised Sesshomaru. The so called training could be categorized as abuse. When he said as soon as possible, the asshole meant it. Nia clearly remembered that night, and she wished she could go back and possibly run away. As soon as she had gotten back into her clothes, he had attacked her, wanting her to 'defend' herself. She scoffed at the thought. Since then, every single minute, of every single day, was _defending_ herself. Waking up at the butt crack of dawn was _not_ okay. Avoiding poison claws and whips was _not_ okay. Having her go out and kill 'dinner' was _not_ okay. But what was definitely not okay was the fact that she hadn't seen a glimpse of his naked ass since that night. And there were no chances of taking advantage of him either because he never slept! If he did, it sure as hell wasn't around her.

However, what Sesshomaru was doing right now was worse than anything he had done in the past. Nia panted heavily as she glared at the demon. He, as usual, stared impassively back at her. Without remorse, he had just finished mock attacking her. Mock, her ass. He was most likely being serious the whole time. … Then again, she could be dead if he was being completely serious. Nia had long since stopped complimenting him… except on his looks. Now, he was expecting her to follow his latest order. "Let me get this straight." Still, she panted. "After six months of horrendous training, which included my clothes—my _only_ clothes—being ripped, torn, and almost un-wearable, to which I _had_ to learn how to sew because you won't get my any more clothes, you expect me to leave, _by myself_, to find your little brother?"

"Yes." The demon lord actually nodded.

"**Bitch, I ain't going nowhere**!" Of course, she said this in English. If he understood what she had said, death would be imminent. To collect herself, she slowly inhaled and exhaled. It had been about a week since she had controlled her anger well enough so that she wouldn't _strike the sexy bastard where he stood_. Seriously, a _week ago_ is when she finally learned to control her anger, thus controlling her lightning ability. He certainly knew how to make her tick. It had taken six months—six months before she had finally managed to quell her powers despite being angry. This sexy bastard was annoying as hell. Nia was sure Sesshomaru poked at her—in a nonsexual way—on _purpose_, just to rile her up. Once she had successfully composed herself, she focused on the demon. "Lord Sesshomaru," she tried not to hiss out. "Perhaps you may not have realized this yet—and I can't see how you wouldn't—but I am a delicious, and defenseless, looking woman. Surely you must realize that I will be attacked before I reach your brother?"

"I'm well aware," he replied.

It was getting painfully hard not to put a shock to his system.

"Lord Sesshomaru, you're sending me, exhausted, into the wilderness. Are you… wanting me to get attacked by any chance?"

"Yes, that is what I hope for." Nia almost snarled. "It is to be better prepared for battle once you return to my brother's pack." Sesshomaru finally turned his back to her. "Well then… This is goodbye." He walked away—_actually walked away_! So that was it? She should have known. Sesshomaru never took her far away like this. He would attack her even in the presence of Rin. She should have known today was going to be different.

"YOU SON OF A _BITCH_!" Her shout must have reached his ears, yet he did not falter in his steps. "Could you, _at least_, point me in the direction that Inuyasha could possibly be?" To her chagrin, Sesshomaru pointed to the north. "You son of a bitch," Nia repeated, clenching her fists at her sides. The demon lord's humor made her want to punch a baby. She sharply turned her body and began walking in the direction that was pointed out to her.

Nia seriously hated Sesshomaru. As fine as he was, his personality made her want to _kill_ him. The woman grabbed her head and massaged her temples as she walked. _"People like him should be eye candy and nothing more!"_ She dropped her arms. _"What am I going to do? There's no way I'm going to find Inuyasha." _Nia crossed her arms, lowered her head, and closed her eyes. _"How can I get out of this mess?"_

That's when a thought suddenly struck her. From that one thought, many ideas came about as well. Nia smirked. She stopped walking, springing her head back to release a superior laugh. Her laughter was abruptly cut off with a sigh. "Lord Sesshomaru, you have truly underestimated me. Leaving me out here by myself…? _Ha_! What a foolish mistake! _Tsk, tsk, tsk_." She shook her head as if she pitied the dog demon. "Discarding me…? Now you will only see what I can do as harmful. _Hahahaha_!" She began walking again. "Just you wait, Lord Sesshomaru. I'm going to be the woman that sends you to hell." Nia laughed once more before focusing on the task of finding a village. She was unaware that the demon in question was watching her every move. Golden eyes narrowed, watching her back.

"_I'd like to see you try, woman."_

0-0

Nia paced back and forth, finger rubbing her chin. She had succeeded in finding a village. However, the size of the village was not what she wanted. It was big, bigger than she wanted it to be. It probably had its own militia. That could pose as a problem. Although regrettable, it was still workable. All she needed was a role that fit the size of the village. That's what she was trying to do now. For such a big village, she would need a dynamic role, not just a static one like she had planned. Unfortunately, she had never played such a role before. And seeking out another village—a smaller one—was impossibly now. It had taken a long time to find _this_ one. The sun had begun setting by now. If anything, she wanted to avoid the demons that came out at night.

"That's it…!" Her eyes widen. She cursed herself for not thinking about it sooner. _"I'll just copy what I've seen, and hope that it's convincing." _She needed to lure Inuyasha to her _and_ shake Sesshomaru's throne. Hopefully, this character she was about to take on was enough to kill two birds. _"Give me your strength and wisdom." _Nia put her hands together as if praying. She closed her eyes, calling upon the power of an actress. _"Allow me to copy your role."_ The woman slowly breathed out, and then reached up. She pulled the tie from her hair. Then she proceeded to pulling the top half of her hair into a high ponytail. She left the rest to hang down her back. "I'm ready!"

The foreign woman marched out of the forest, and practically strutted down the hill toward the entrance of the village. She past the gate and ignored the stares of the people. As Nia Dalton, it would have made her slightly uncomfortable. However, at the moment, she was someone else. Her aim was for the biggest place. That is where the lord of this village lived. It wasn't long before she arrived. Guards stopped her. "What… What are you?"

"What is your business here?" the other one asked.

"_Huuuh_…? Is that any way to treat your future leader?" She smirked at their confused expressions. And then she unleashed the power she controlled due to six months of training with a demon. Lightning discharged from her hands, striking the guards where they stood. They fell to the ground with a loud clang. They were wearing suits of armor so their defeat brought on the attention she was looking for. Behind her, the villagers screamed and ran—a panic. The guards, though, weren't dead. It wasn't enough to kill them. Nia stepped over their bodies.

A smirk touched her face.

0-0


	6. Chapter 6

"Is this it?" Inuyasha asked, rather annoyed. He crossed his arms, golden eyes staring at a village down below. He, and his group, had finally made it out of that forest and located the village they were searching for. "Doesn't look very…" He trailed off, trying to remember what that old woman had called it. "Under a demon tyrant's rule." The three beside him nodded their heads in agreement. "But if it's a lead to Naraku then I'll take it."

"Appearances can be deceiving, Inuyasha," Miroku spoke. "I think it would be wise to check out the situation by asking the villagers before we head straight to the source. The half-demon scoffed, but said nothing. He walked down the hill with his comrades in tow. "With a village this big, we're bound to find some information."

"And even if we don't, not sleeping on the ground is a bonus!" Kagome exclaimed. "Feels like I haven't had a bath in forever!" Mentally, she was cheering. The group had been following false leads concerning the sacred jewel shards. It had become quite the frenzy. Honestly, her legs were aching. _"About time we can rest!" _she thought. The young schoolgirl followed her half-demon companion with a smile on her face. Just thinking about a hot bath made her excited.

"We're not here to play, Kagome!" Inuyasha must have noticed her mood. She glared at him in response. "We're here to kill a demon, and maybe get a shard—that's it! As soon as things are taken care of, we're leaving."

"Inu_yasha_…! That's not fair to everyone else!"

The other group members merely sighed as the two began bickering back and forth. Those two had become more agitated with each other recently. Most likely, the strain of coming to bad results made then irritated, which meant they lashed out at each other. Headaches were something they came about often. Perhaps if they finished this business up quickly, they could convince Inuyasha that a period of relaxation was best for everyone.

"Would you guys pipe down?" Shippo nearly growled. "We've made it to the village."

Instantly, the two dropped the argument. The group past the giant red gate in silence. Actually, the whole village seemed to be unnaturally quiet, despite the people. "I can't say I like this aura," Miroku remarked. "Something about this place seems… odd. For such a big place to be this quiet. It's unnatural." Inuyasha turned his head to and fro, sniffing about the place. "I don't sense a demon's presence."

"I don't smell any either," Inuyasha stated. He randomly grabbed a woman that moved to walk past him. He ignored the scolding tone Kagome directed at him. "Hey, why is this village so quiet?" To his surprise, the woman actually glared at him. Then she _slapped_ him.

"Don't touch me without my permission!" The young woman scoffed, and then pranced away, leaving the group in stunned silence.

"What the hell was that?" Inuyasha shouted.

"Hey, hey, keep your voice down!" A man murmured. The half-demon whirled around, about to tell the man off but Kagome was having none of that.

"_Sit_ boy," she commanded, which forced Inuyasha to eat dirt. The schoolgirl turned kind eyes to the man that had spoken. "I'm sorry for his rudeness, but we're new here, so we don't know what's going on." Kagome, Miroku, and Sango approached the middle-aged man, leaving Shippo to poke Inuyasha's twitching form with a stick. "Is there a reason why everyone's so quiet?" The man nodded his head.

"Yes…" he replied. "It started a month ago when… _she_ came into the village."

"She…?" Miroku repeated.

"A demon," the man explained. "She came one night, and in one month, she succeeded in persuading Lord Ren. Although, he is still the lord, she holds the power." He crossed his arms. "With no hesitation, she made up ridiculous rules and guidelines to follow. If her orders aren't followed, torture would surely follow." Kagome let out a gasp. "Her reign of terror isn't normal, though. It is… bittersweet in a way." Sango titled her head to the side in confusion. "_Hah_… Like to now. Every day, at this time, the entire village must keep their communication under a whisper… for fifteen minutes."

"What? That's ridiculous!" Sango muttered.

"It is because the Lady is waking up during this time. She does not like to be greeted with noise."

"How selfish and rude!" Kagome narrowed her eyes.

"Don't speak ill of the Lady whilst in the presence of a female!" The man, looking a bit panicked, shifted his eyes around. "It will surely cost you!" He stood up and hastily bowed. "If you want more answers, I suggest you not badmouth the Lady! Good day!" Then he left the group in a haze of confusion.

"What… is going on?" Sango frowned. "They say it's a demon, but she's held in high regard by the women of this village?"

"The only thing we can do to get to the bottom of this-" Inuyasha had finally stood up. "-Is to seek out the source. Let's get this so called demon!"

"Let's not be hasty, Inuyasha," Miroku chided. "We still don't know what we're up against." The monk tapped his chin, looking up towards the sky. "That man said she came and in one month starting making rules. That doesn't tell us how long she's been here or how she influenced the current lord."

"Who the hell cares? She's probably some human that got a hold of a shard, so we need to take it before demons start popping up looking for it. Then the whole village will suffer!" Inuyasha pointed out. His friends nodded gravely. Unfortunately, that is what usually happened when humans possessed one of the shards. It was a wonder why demons hadn't come, seeking it's power. They did hear about this tyrant two weeks ago, after all.

"I guess he's right," Kagome said. "Let's head to the lord's house then." She pointed upward. There was a building structure that was raised to overlook the village. "That must be the place." Inuyasha nodded his head, and then walked forward. His comrades followed behind. The schoolgirl flinched as they got closer to the entrance of the castle. "It's definitely a shard, you guys." The group tensed at her words.

Expectedly, they were stopped by four guards. "Haven't seen you around before! Are you new to this village?" One pointed a spear in Inuyasha's face. The half-demon was quick to brush it aside. "We don't get too many outsiders here, but the Lady loves visitors of your kind. Are you wishing to see her?" Several eyebrows rose. That was surprising to hear. "We are to treat any visitor to our village as royal guests. My name is Yumi."

"_Eh_…?" Kagome pointed a finger. "You're a girl?" The helm and mask were removed to reveal long dark hair and a cute face. "No way…"

"What of it? We're all girls," Yumi stated. The other three nodded their heads. "The Lady made us a part of her personal guard." She turned. "Now, come along, so you can see her. I will be your guide." She walked away.

"I can hardly believe it," Sango muttered. "There aren't too many women who are fighters around." In her tone, there was a hint of admiration. "Maybe this 'demon' isn't all that bad."

"Don't be ridiculous, Sango! Something is really bugging me!" Inuyasha stomped forward. Yumi didn't bother to turn around, not once, as she led the group. Finally, they reached the main house. They had passed many women of all ages, working about the castle. Some were even being taught to use swords in the courtyard.

Yumi stopped in front of a sliding down. She bowed respectfully. "My Lady, you have another group of visitors. Do you wish to see them now?" It was quiet for a few moments before a grunt was given. "As you wish." Yumi bowed again, and then focused on the group. "You may enter when ready." The young woman left them to return to her post.

"This… is too weird." Kagome's brown eyes uneasily stared at the paper thin barrier separating them from this Lady. "The shard is not in this room, though."

"This woman has me curious," Miroku admitted. "Shall we see her and ask questions?" He opened the door, not waiting for a response. Inside, the room was lit by candles, despite it being daytime. The candles were heavily scented, causing Inuyasha to grimace. He almost didn't go into the room. However, there was no sign of this woman. Their eyes shifted to folding screen near the far wall. "Excuse me, but are you the demon the villagers keep mentioning?" Miroku asked.

"_Hm_… I told them to stop referring to me in that way," an aloof voice answered. "Just a moment." A piece of clothing was flipped onto the folding screen. And then another. Seconds later, she came from behind the screen. An improperly worn, deep red kimono trailed behind her. She also wore a short black yukata that cut off mid thigh. "It's about time you showed up."

"_AH_!" Inuyasha stared in shock, as did the rest of the group. "N-N-NAOMI?"

"_Excuse_ you?" Her eyebrow twitched as she crossed her arms. Kagome quickly whacked him over the head.

"He's just surprised, _Nia_!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing here? It's been so long! It's been a year! I almost for-" The schoolgirl slapped a hand over her mouth. Nia glared at her. Truthfully speaking, Kagome wasn't the only one to forget about the foreign woman.

"You might want to sit down for this." She sat down, prompting the others to do the same. "You have a really heartless brother, Inuyasha."

"You won't hear any complaint from me."

"After half a year of-" she scoffed. "-_training_ with him, that asshole ditched me in the middle of nowhere! Luckily, I found this village before a demon could eat me!" Her upper lip short up in a snarl. Very unattractive. "I was so mad that I devised a plan that would have him crying and begging to me."

"_Huh_…?" Kagome furrowed her eyebrows.

"Sadly, that plan was never carried out." Nia continued as if she didn't hear Kagome. "At least me doing this actually brought you guys here like it was supposed to."

"You're not making sense, Nia. Explain to us what this plan was," Miroku asked. The foreign woman sighed out, and then began her tale.

"Like I said, that jackass ditched me, so I came across this village. My plan was to take control of a village, using my powers to get what I want. Then I would move on to the next village, leaving my name to strike fear in the hearts of men. Eventually, my name and destruction would rampage all the human villages in the West. I planned to destroy everything, rule over all the humans in this territory, and then rage war against Lord Sesshomaru for his behavior towards me!" A disappointed sigh escaped her lips. "However, the lord here killed that idea. He was so nice to me, even though I'm a foreigner, so I decided not to follow through with that plan."

"Are you crazy?" Kagome shouted. "It's a good thing you didn't follow through! Innocent people would have _died_ just because of a grudge!" Sango and Miroku were casting her incredulous looks as well. "Please tell me you're joking!"

"_Nah_," Nia waved off the younger girl's rant. "I was totally serious. I wanted Lord Sesshomaru to suffer with something that was a waste of his time. But it didn't happen in the end." She sighed again. "I gave up that plan without even trying. But I still had the motivation to lure you guys here, so I influenced Lord Ren to the point where he appointed me as an advisor. A lot has changed around here since I took up shop, ne?"

"You're completely out of your mind!"

"Yes, well…" Nia smiled brightly. "Who wants lunch?"

"Don't try to diffuse the situation!" Inuyasha growled. "What power was Sesshomaru talking about? And why did he want to train you in the first place?"

"_Hm_…" Nia closed her eyes in thought. "I can't tell you."

"WHAT?" The foreigner pointed. The others blinked in confusion. A small bolt of lightning was discharged from her finger. Inuyasha's eyes widen as his hair stood on end. He shuddered a bit. "What the hell did you just do to me?" Kagome snickered. He rounded on her, only to discover that Miroku and Sango were trying to hold back laughter, too. Shippo didn't try to hide it at all. "What the hell's so funny?"

"You see, I can emit lightning from my body, and when I'm really upset, thunderstorms happen," Nia explained.

"How peculiar…" Miroku said. "In your time, does every human have similar abilities?"

"_How the hell should I know?"_ Nia thought. "Oh yeah, there are those who can see through wall, go through walls, smash through walls. We got a lot of 'em," she said out loud.

"You're definitely not from my time," Kagome said.

"We definitely already established that," Nia retorted, causing the schoolgirl to glare. "But enough about my origin." Honestly, she didn't want to keep talking about it. Who knows if she'd slip up again? "You came here for the shard, right?"

"You know…?" Kagome blinked in surprised.

"Of course I do," she answered. "My plan wasn't _just_ to annoy and cripple Lord Sesshomaru. It was to bring you guys here, too. Instead of going out, on my own, and finding you, I just thought I'd bring you to me."

"Sounds like laziness to me."

"Kagome," Nia smiled. "You're about a second away from looking like Inuyasha." Kagome grimaced, and then laughed nervously. "The foreigner stood up, causing the others to look at her in curiosity. "Now, I will take you to the shard." They stood up as well, and followed Nia out of the room.

"How did you come across one of the shards?" Miroku asked.

"A demon attacked the village awhile back because he heard about me. He thought _I_ had a shard," she explained as she walked. "A couple people died, but I killed him in the end. That is when the villagers around here actually started to respect me." She came to a stop. "The shard is kept in this room." The door was slid open. The group filed into the room. Immediately, growling was heard. "That's enough, Inuyasha…!" The growling stopped.

"Inuyasha…?" The half-demon did not seem to like the name of her dog. The Great Dane had wandered into the village months ago. Nia had been extremely surprised that he had survived in the wilderness for so long. She had concluded that her dog must have been transported with her. However, she should probably keep that a secret. Knowing this group, they would probably ask her about her choice of pet name. "Why the hell did you name him after me?" She knew it.

"Because, Inuyasha, I like the name," Nia answered, truthfully. "I even taught him to sit when I tell him to—just like you and Kagome! Neat, huh?"

"The hell it is!"

"I think it's pretty cool."

"Shut up, Kagome!"

"Inuyasha serves as the shard's protector." Nia went over to her dog. He licked her hand, and then stood and moved away. The dog had been lying on a small black velvet bag. The foreigner tugged at the drawstring before her finger and thumb dug around inside. "It's still there." She removed her appendages, and then pulled at the drawstring again, closing it up. She tossed the bag to Kagome, who almost dropped it. The group stared at her. "What?"

"Nia, you seem pretty comfortable here," Sango commented. "It feels like… you won't be coming with us when we leave this village." Nia blinked several times.

"Hm… We'll have plenty of time to discuss that matter later." She waved her hand. "For now, Daisuke will show you to your rooms. Of course you will stay the night. A bath will be prepared as well. You will be summoned to dinner so that you can meet with Lord Ren." Before, any of them could respond, Nia clapped her hands twice. Fast-paced footsteps were heard. A young boy, thirteen at the most, appeared outside the room. He bowed in respect. "_Ah_, there you are, Daisuke. Show them to their rooms."

"Yes, my Lady." He lifted his head, eyes focusing on Inuyasha and his comrades. "Right this way."

Glancing back for only a moment, the group headed out. Nia watched them go with partially shut eyes. She then sighed heavily. Truthfully, she had stopped thinking about leaving this village. Sure, she had wanted to bait Inuyasha and the rest here in the beginning. But… now what…? Nia rubbed her temple, and then shifted her gaze to her dog. His light blue eyes stared up at her. She dropped down to her knees and reached out to scratch behind his ears. "What should I do, Inuyasha?" Her nose bumped against her dog's nose. His tongue touched her cheek and chin. "Hey, why are kisses always your answer?"

Inuyasha only barked.

0-0

"Tell me, Lady Nia; are your friends similar to you?" Lord Ren questioned from his position at the head of the table. The foreigner glanced at him from the corner of her eye. Ren was a tall attractive man. Even with the dark bowl cut. His eyes were grey. He had a permanent intimidating stare. Many, who were not accustomed to him, were immediately scared of him. However, that was just his physical appearance. Really, the man was kind-hearted, and loved his village dearly. Nia was seated at his right. Her eyes went back to the long table that had been prepared. Servants were putting the last finishing touches on table. The group would be sent for soon. "Foreign, I mean."

"No, they are not foreigners," Nia answered. "Do you mind the mixed company, Lord Ren?"

"Not at all," Ren answered. "I am rather intrigued by this group of demons, humans, and one half-demon. It is not very common."

"Yes, that is true." The woman closed her eyes for a moment. She unclasped her hands and sighed deeply. "I say it's about time, Lord Ren." The man nodded his head. He ordered one of the servants to go and fetch the group. "But I must warn you, the half-demon of the group is very… hot-headed and he will, most likely, not show respect. However, his fiancée will make up for that."

"His fiancée…? He's getting married to one of the human women?"

"Yes, sooner or later…" Nia murmured. "Both of them, together, could cause headaches. It would be best not stare. The younger demon of the group is their adoptive child. Although cute, he is mischievous."

"I see," Ren said. "And the other two? The demon slayer and monk…?"

"_Hm_… The monk is quite strong for a human. However, he can be perverse with the demon slayer, which will result in a slap. Try not to react too much if or when that happens."

"I understand."

Ren, since he had known her, had not seen Nia's perverted side. When they were introduced, she had been acting. In fact, she was still acting as another. She had kept this persona for a long time. Keeping this façade up for so long—honestly, she didn't know how she did it. Being a _perfectly_ aggressive woman was tiring. Admittedly, Nia knew the life of a yakuza leader's wife was tough, but seriously, some days she wanted to return to being herself. She had only dropped the act in the presence of Inuyasha and the rest of his group. However, she didn't have time to ponder that. Inuyasha and the others had made it to the room. Expectedly, he and Kagome were having a hushed conversation. Both looked agitated. However, when their eyes saw the food, they practically glowed. Hungry stomachs made themselves known. "Greetings, my friends," Nia welcomed. She gestured towards the owner of the castle. "This is Lord Ren."

"Please to meet you," he greeted. He tried smiling, but it just looked as though he was angry. Inuyasha was quick to react.

"Who the hell do you think you're staring at?" he shouted. Kagome quickly yanked at his hair. "Hey…!"

"Forgive his rudeness!" she exclaimed, bowing. She pulled at Inuyasha's hair again, forcing him to bow as well. Sango and Miroku showed their respect.

"You were right, Lady Nia," Ren commented.

"Please sit down," she instructed the group after she nodded to Ren's remark. Once the group was seated, Nia began the introduction. She pointed at each when she stated their name. Once introductions were out of the way, Ren encouraged the guests to eat. They had done so as if they hadn't eaten in days. It hadn't been five minutes before the bickering from Inuyasha and Kagome had started again. They honestly tried to keep their voices low, but Nia heard them anyway. _"These morons..."_ she thought, trying not to frown.

"I say you drop it, already! What she did with Sesshomaru isn't really important at this point!" Kagome nearly growled. The foreign woman rolled her eyes.

"And _I_ say it is!" Inuyasha heatedly retorted.

Feigning a smile, Nia called out to them. "Do not be rude, Inuyasha and Kagome. If you need to speak, speak loud enough so that every can hear and join the conversation," she said. "You are, after all, in the presence of Lord Ren. Do _not_ be rude!" The two in question sported shocked expressions. They must have been surprised to see her cold persona. However, Inuyasha narrowed his eyes. He knew. The half-demon crossed his arms and scoffed.

"I see now," he muttered, averting his eyes. Kagome blinked, and stared at him in confusion. "But anyway, since you brought it up… let's talk about what exactly happened with Sesshomaru. He said-"

"Hold your tongue, Inuyasha!" Nia interrupted. "What transpired between myself and your brother is a private matter."

"Lord Sesshomaru?" Ren questioned. "You have a relation with Lord Sesshomaru?"

"… You know of him, my Lord Ren?"

"Of course. We are merely a human village in his territory. The great dog demon, Lord Sesshomaru, rules over us all. However, he does not come into contact with humans often," Ren explained. "I have not met him, nor did my father, _or_ his father."

"I see," Nia said. She closed her eyes for a moment. "Truthfully, he is the one who trained me to control my power, Lord Ren."

"And did you refer to Inuyasha as his brother?"

"_Half_ brother," Inuyasha stressed.

"Still," Ren waved off the half-demon's comment. "You have a relation with Lady Nia _and_ Lord Sesshomaru. I must show my appreciation, Lord Inuyasha." He bowed his head. While the half-demon appeared flustered at the title. "Please stay here for as long as you see fit." The man stood up. "As for right now, I have business to attend to. Please eat as much as you want." Without another word, the lord of the castle left the room."

Nia sighed heavily once his footsteps were no longer heard. "You just can't keep your mouth shut, can you, Inuyasha?" she asked. A growl was given in response. "But I guess this is okay. We-"

"What did he mean by _business_?" Inuyasha questioned.

"That is _his_ business," Nia answered. "But to quell your curiosity, he's going to check on his wife. She came down with something and hasn't been the same."

"Oh, I see," Kagome said. It was quiet for a moment. The demon slayer of the group fidgeted nervously. Wasn't anyone going to question this? Sure, they hadn't known Nia for a long time before she left with Sesshomaru. However, it was obvious that she was behaving in a way that they weren't accustomed to. This couldn't be her true nature, could? There was no way. Nia hadn't made a perverted comment since they reunited. It was strange. Finally, she opened her mouth, wanting to get to the body of this.

"Nia, why are you acting so differently?" Sango asked. The older female looked at her with a raised brow. Thankfully, the demon slayer wasn't alone in her prying.

"Yes, I am curious as well. You put up a front with Lord Ren," Miroku agreed.

"Do you really want to know?" Nia questioned. "Inuyasha figured it out a long time ago."

"_Inuyasha_ figured it out?" Kagome sounded disbelieving.

"What the hell, Kagome?" Inuyasha had caught her tone of voice.

"Like I said before, I planned to use my powers to take over a village, right?" Most of them nodded their heads. "Well, I wasn't only talking about lightning. Before I came to this time, I was an actress—a small-scaled one, but an actress nonetheless."

"Actress…?" Miroku repeated as if the word was foreign to him. "I've never heard this word before. What does it mean?"

"It's a female version of an actor," Kagome explained. "In this time, they do not exist, but there are lots of them in my time. And the range is broader than just theater like what you guys might be used to." She turned to Nia. "I've never watched any American movies or television shows, but you must be a teen actress, right?"

"Yeah, but I had not reached mainstream yet," she stated. "Still, with years of acting experiences and lessons, I am good at taking on another role. Not to toot my own horn, but I can copy a role, too." She sighed again. "It is through my acting skills and lightning power that I've come this far—from a penniless foreigner to a lord's most trusted advisor."

"So what you're saying is… You can be whoever you want to be to get out of a sticky situation?" Kagome asked.

"Yeah, that's right!" Nia crossed her arms. "This character that I'm playing for this village is such a cold woman… I haven't gotten laid _once_ since I got here!"

"NIA!" Kagome blushed.

"All these good looking boys my age, and I can't lay a finger on them!" She blatantly ignored the schoolgirl. Her hand reached out. "Dreams of having a male harem aren't within my grasp!"

"I knew something was bugging me," Inuyasha remarked with a disapproving shake of his head. "She wasn't acting as nearly as perverted as she should be. It's _weird_." Nia flicked her middle finger at him. However, her rude gesture was ignored. "You can't possibly be happy here, being someone you're not, right? Are you going to stay or go with us when we leave?" The room became quiet as everyone waited for an answer.

"A lot of people will be disappointed if I go."

"Not the people who think you're a tyrant."

"Tyrant…?"

"Yeah, that's how we heard about the village," Kagome said. "An old woman told us about a demon tyrant who controlled the village's lord. That's the reason we came."

"_Ah_, so you did meet with her? I bet she put on quite the show," Nia said.

"What do you mean?" Shippo asked.

"I paid her to go out and find you since you guys were taking your sweet time on your own," Nia explained. "She returned days before you. Her and her family are living it up now."

"You're… kidding, right?" Kagome asked. However, the raised eyebrow Nia was sporting told her she was far from joking. "I can't believe this."

"Did you meet the man that said that I tortured those who didn't follow my rules?"

"That was an act too?" Sango asked. Nia nodded her head with a smile.

"People will do pretty much anything for money, ne? His family will be taken care of for the rest of his life."

"All this planning to bring us here and yet you cannot decide whether or not you're coming back with us?" Miroku inquired.

"…"

"Nia… say something," Kagome whispered.

"I have already made my decision," she replied. "Even though it has been a year, even though you had forgotten me—forgotten my _name_-" An embarrassed flush settled on Inuyasha's cheeks. "-I will abandon the life of luxury and return to your group." The schoolgirl looked about ready to say something, but Nia interrupted. "But…! No matter how curious you are, you can't ask me anything concerning the year we spent apart, got it?" Several eyebrows furrowed. "I said do you _got it_?" Begrudgingly, the group nodded their heads. "I did many things as another character that I do not want to talk about with you. Because I _know_ mindless ranting will follow."

"What? What did you do?" Kagome exclaimed. Nia gave her a look. "Sorry…" The foreigner sighed heavily.

"Looks like I'll have to let Lord Ren know of my leaving."

0-0

"Lord Ren…! I'm afraid her condition has become worse!"

Although his expression did not change, Ren was anxious. He hurriedly slid open the door and hastily moved over to the futon that his wife lied on. Her face was scrunched, eyes squeezed shut. She was moving about as if her sleep was plagued by nightmares. Ren clasped her hand in his. She was sweating profusely. Behind his closed mouth, his teeth clenched. He had hoped and prayed her health would return. However, it only seemed to get worse. She had never sweated this much before. Nor did she have night terrors. Her groans reached his ears, prompting Ren to open his eyes. She suddenly shouted out. Her eyes shot up, only her pupils were red. He hastily stepped back as his wife slowly rose from the futon in midair. "K… K…" His eyes expanded, too shocked to do much of anything else.

"That bitch!" His wife cried in an imprecise voice. It seemed to be a combination of hers and something else—something demonic. "I'll kill her!"

A murderous roar echoed throughout the castle.

0-0


	7. Chapter 7

Members of the group sharply turned their heads. Each one of them heard the echoing roar. "What the hell was that?" Inuyasha's hand clutched the hilt of his sword. He sniffed a couple of times. "It sounded like a demon, but I still don't smell anything!"

"There's definitely something," Miroku said. "I sense a demonic aura. Let's go!" The four stood up, prepared for battle. After telling Shippo to stay put, the schoolgirl and the others left the room. Nia rolled her eyes, and then sighed, causing the fox demon to turn her way. He questioned her behavior, yet she waved off his inquiry. The foreign woman stood up and slowly made her way to the door. Showtime, she thought. Nia yanked her hair tie out, letting her braided hair fall on her shoulders. Then she proceeded to take off her glasses. She tucked them in the sleeve of her kimono. The aloof expression of a gang leader's wife slipped from her face. In its place formed a scowl, seemingly permanent. It was now time to get reacquainted with an old friend.

It took her about five tries because she was virtually blind.

When she finally stopped walking, she knew she had come to the right place. Shouts were coming from the room Ren's wife had been resting. Nia had been stopped by a couple of women in her guard. They had told her it was too dangerous. They had said that they would protect her. However, at the moment, she was not Lady Nia. Currently, she was a badass delinquent. "Get the _fuck_ outta my way," she said. The women backed away, gasping at the sudden change. The foreigner walked pass them and into the room without looking back. She heard their inquiring whispers, but chose to ignore it. With slow steps, she entered the room. Inuyasha and the others were at a safe distance away from the floating woman.

Hazel eyes examined the entire room; that took a few times as well. Ren was lying on the floor. Blood slid down the middle of his forehead, but he was conscious. Inuyasha had his sword out, complaining that not being able to attack. Sango was quiet, but looked as though she was holding herself back from flinging her large boomerang. Miroku was trying to talk Inuyasha down from attacking. Kagome… was held hostage. The floating woman had an arm wrapped around the schoolgirl's neck. She was still conscious as well. Her sigh caught the attention of the half-demon. He whirled around, while pointing a finger at Ren's wife. "Nia! What the hell did you do?" The foreigner did not speak. "He keeps going on and on about you and some type of deal!"

"There you are you little bitch!" The warped voice hollered. A slender finger was pointed her way. Inuyasha went back on the defensive. "I want what was promised to me!" Quietly, the foreigner stepped forward. "Where is my jewel shar-"

"Quit yakking you piece of shit!" The woman was knocked from midair by a fist to the face. There was a collection of gasps from every occupant of the room. "Trash like you… doesn't deserve to talk." Sardonic eyes shifted to Kagome, who subconsciously reared back. "If you know what's good for you, woman, you would run." A gasp escaped her throat again. Kagome honestly felt scared of that expression. Hastily, she stood and dashed over to Inuyasha. "Now-" Her steely eyes cut back to the possessed woman. "Where were we?"

"L-Lady Nia…! Please… Please don't hurt my wife," Ren pleaded. "P-Please don't hurt… my Shikori…!" Nia didn't even acknowledge that he spoke. She picked up the woman's body by the collar of her kimono. "Lady Ni-"

"Shut the fuck up!" She sent a glare his way, causing the lord of the castle to recoil in fright. Her focus returned to the possessed woman, who was just now coming back from disorientation. Nia pulled, causing her face to be inches away from Shikori's. "Who the hell do you think you are, talking to me like that?" To the surprise of everyone in the room, the distorted voice whimpered like the demon in possession of the woman's body was afraid.

"B-B-But I wa-waited a lo-long time!"

"So the fuck what?"

"Yo-You promised a sh-sh-shard, ma-master!"

"Master?"

"What do you mean you promised a shard?" Inuyasha was clearly thinking logically about the situation.

Nia ignored the peanut gallery. "And so what if I did, _huh_?" she asked. "As your master, I am viable to change my mind on a whim." She raised her unoccupied hand, showing sparks dancing along her fingers. "You think by hiding in a human body that I wouldn't know you were trying to grow your power?" A malevolent grin crossed her face. "Hate to break this to ya, asshole, but no matter what, you're still a weak little demon!" Her hand clutched the woman's face, sending a powerful stream of lightning into her body.

"NIA!" Kagome's scream was almost drowned out by the screams of pain. The woman was released. She fell to the floor with a dull thud. "Nia! How could you do that? That's a human being!"

"Human… Demon… Doesn't make a fucking difference to me," she replied.

"Your heart… it's empty." Tears gathered in the corner of the schoolgirl's eyes.

"Shikori…" Ren let out a strangled gasp. The woman's body began to convulse

The foreigner dropped down, reaching out. Her hand wrapped around the woman's throat. Gagging noises filled the room. Everyone was horrified at what they were witnessing. And then her body stopped moving completely. Nia stood up again, roughing throwing Shikori's head down. She turned to the group. In her other hand there was a… snake? It was a small red and black snake—similar to a garden snake as far as size goes. Behind her, Shikori gasped for air—alive. The snake in Nia's hand wiggled. It was alive as well.

"What… the hell?" Inuyasha muttered. Slowly, his sword was placed back in its sheath. Ren stood up, staggering over to his wife.

"Shikori, are you alright?" he asked.

"Ren…" Her voice was hoarse and weak. The man hugged his wife, glad that she hadn't died.

"Massster! I'm ssssorry!" The snake continued to wiggle about. "Pleasssse don't kill me!"

"Stop talking like that." Nia gave its body a squeezed, causing choked out nonsense to come out. Sighing, she dropped the snake, and then slammed her foot down on his tail. He cried out in pain. However, the foreigner focused on tying her hair into a high ponytail. Her black-rimmed glasses were removed from her sleeve and placed back on her face. "Sorry you guys had to see that," she said. She smiled pleasantly at them. "You probably want an explanation, _ne_?"

"Uh—yeah!" Kagome hurriedly wiped tears away.

"Too bad!" Nia chirped. "You already promised that you wouldn't ask~!" She grinned at the schoolgirl's infuriated expression. "My job here is done. It's time for me to leave the village!"

0-0

"Honestly, Lord Ren, I spend six months in your village, and that's how you're saying goodbye?" Nia asked. Her eyebrow rose. It had been two days since the demon that possessed Ren's wife was taken care of. As a favor to Nia's friends, they had stayed in the lord's castle an extra day. The foreigner had broken the news to Ren shortly after her demon minion had left. There was protest, but in the end, her word had not faltered. The man tried to smile, but it ended up looking creepy. His wife, Lady Shikori, placed a hand on her husband's shoulder. The beautiful woman smiled. "Lady Shikori, I am terribly sorry about the things you went through because of that demon."

"Its fine, Lady Nia."

Nia almost felt bad. Ren's wife—Ren as well—were so easy to manipulate. They were such gentle people. The foreigner turned her attention to the group of women who had also come to see her off. Every single member of her guard was there, and so were some of the women of the village. Some wept. "Lady Nia, do you really have leave us?" Yumi questioned. "Couldn't a couple of us go with you?"

"I do," Nia answered. "And no, Yumi. You must remain here and protect the village and Lord Ren." The woman lowered her eyes to the ground. "Do not look so glum, Yumi. Perhaps we will each other again?"

"But you've helped us so much, Lady Nia!" Her shoulder shook a bit. "It's strange having you leave so abruptly like this!" Yumi's eyes squeezed shut, trying to stifle tears.

"I'm sorry, but this was the way it was always supposed to end. Please take care of my dog… Well, goodbye," she turned to leave. Inuyasha and the others had already began to walk away from the village. She needed to catch up quick.

"Lady Nia! I'll never forget you!" Yumi called. It was getting quite hard to walk. And it wasn't because she wasn't wearing anything on her feet. Six months with Sesshomaru does wonders for the strength of the soles of the feet. Who _knows_ where her sandals were? The reason she was uncomfortable as she walked was because of the kimono. It was going to get annoying having it trail behind her. She supposed she should have learned how to wear it properly. _Meh_, oh well… The kimono was slipped from her shoulders, revealing the short black kunoichi garb she usually wore. Her old clothes were too damaged to put back on, after all. Nia tossed the deep red kimono back, having Yumi to catch it. The younger female held it close to her chest. "I won't ever forget you…" she murmured.

Unaware of the vow, Nia continued on until she was past the gate. She then ran ahead to catch up with the group. It took only a few minutes to fall into step with them. "You sure took your sweet time," Inuyasha commented. "Say goodbye to your little harem?"

"Inuyasha…!" Kagome was quick to scold him.

"_Uh_… I like penis, so they weren't my harem, Inuyasha."

"I cannot believe she said that with a straight face," Sango muttered. And judging from the others' expression, they could not believe it either. "I see we're going to have to get used to you all over again, _ne_, Nia?" The foreigner grinned in response.

"_Ah_, that reminds me," she said. "Just how many shards of the Jewel there?"

"What makes you ask?" Miroku inquired.

"Well, the last time I saw you guys, you mentioned that you were looking for the shards… That a year ago," Nia explained. "Does it really take this long?"

"Well…" Kagome seemed uneasy. "Most of the Jewel in the possession of a powerful demon called Naraku." The foreign women feigned ignorance.

"Naraku…?" she repeated.

"Yes, he has caused us a lot of problems," Sango stated. "At the moment, we don't know where he is, hence why we're still searching for shards. We're coming to come across Naraku because he's looking for the shards as well." She sighed heavily. "Like I said, we can't find him, and there are no new leads concerning his whereabouts."

"Shame about that," Nia remarked. "Sooo… you're trying to find as many shards as possible, so this Naraku can come to you?" She nodded her head. "That sounds like it'll be a painful confrontation."

"I see we got a smart one on our hands."

"Eat a big one, Inuyasha," she retorted, showing her middle finger. She crossed her arms. "What about that wolf-demon, Koga? Doesn't he have shards? Should he be running about by himself?"

"Who cares?" Inuyasha scoffed.

"Obviously not you."

"Koga is known for sticking to his own group. He shows up occasionally, but that's only to fight with Inuyasha," Shippo answered as he hopped on Nia's shoulder.

"_Ahh_… sounds like quite the charmer," her tone was thoughtful. "I think I'd like to meet this demon."

"WHAT?" Inuyasha halted his footsteps and whipped his head back. Nia could have sworn she heard something snap. Suppressing an eye roll, she waited for him to continue. However, the half-demon seemed way too flabbergasted to get a coherent sentence out. Finally, after a tap on the shoulder from Kagome, he calmed down enough to get a sentence out. "What the hell, Nia?"

"What? All I said is that I might want to meet him! You act as though I said I want to have his babies!" The foreign woman ignored the sounds of gagging with a roll of her eyes. "Obviously, he's the bad guy, so meeting and having a friendly conversation seems a bit silly-"

"A bit?" Kagome screeched.

"-However, that was not what I had in mind," Nia went on as if she hadn't been interrupted. _"This pass year, I haven't even thought of Naraku… Since my arrival here, he hasn't appeared. That means he is not the one to send me here," _she thought. Frowning, she closed her eyes._ "Then why am I here then?"_ She opened her eyes again. "You said Naraku was a problem for all of you? But who else is involved?"

"Involved?" Sango murmured. She nodded her head a bit. Then she went into detail of their experience with Naraku. The others sometimes had their own comments to add. By the time the explanation was finished, the sky had turned dark. Basically, they had told Nia everything she already knew. However, she still could not place the time period. Key events—like Naraku getting a new body—had not been said. The Band of Seven hadn't been mentioned either. But then again, it had been a year since she arrived… Even before then, she had no way of knowing where they were in the plot.

Nia heaved an inaudible sigh._ "Why have I been here a year, and yet it seems like I'm just getting started?" _she thought._ "What are the odds that I haven't been placed in the canon universe, but some jacked up side-plot world like that Kururugi kid?"_ Of course Nia had played all the games to her favorite anime show. All the games had some twisted plot that deviated from the original. However, it was the _Secret of the Cursed Mask_ game that was even more twisted because it was the introduction of new characters. Once that journey was over, he/she was never heard of again. Nia almost pouted. She didn't want become that sort of character.

Kagome handed her a bottle of water. Already she had been fixing dinner. "Hey, guys, I was thinking we can go back to Kaede's for a bit," she announced. Immediately she was met with opposition from the half-demon. And his opinion was readily discounted. Kagome's eyes settled on Nia. "I know you may not be from my time, but it doesn't hurt to try the well, right? Besides, you've been here for a year. You must miss modern technology. I know I do."

"_Hm_… Getting some new underwear would be nice…" She lowered her head, slightly sticking her bottom lip out. "It's too bad I don't have any money."

"Ah, don't worry about that. I'm sure my mom wouldn't mind if I explained your situation to her," Kagome smiled. "I'll convince her to buy anything you need, unless I have it, of course. Then I'll just lend it to you myself."

"Thanks, Kagome," Nia said. "You're so nice."

"I do try."

"_Still the same foolish girl, I see."_ The foreign woman kept this thought to herself. "So are we heading to this village tomorrow, or…?"

"Since we haven't gotten another lead on a shard or Naraku tomorrow should be good," Miroku said.

"It's decided then!" Kagome had to keep herself from sounding too excited.

Inuyasha scowled.

0-0

"Can't we take a break, Inuyasha?" Kagome questioned. "My legs are killing me!" The half demon nearly snarled.

"We just took a break!" he shouted.

"That was over two hours ago!" came the heated retort.

The rest of the group merely sighed in unison. Every time, it was like this. Kagome would get tired and ask for a break, and then the argument would start. The result was always the same. Honestly, to think that Inuyasha continued to attempt to protest was just asinine on his part. Still, the others waited patiently for the command to come. They never had to wait long. "SIT BOY!" Kagome screamed. Just like that, the poor half-demon was sent plummeting to the ground. And just like that, the argument was over. The schoolgirl panted softly, having worked up a sweat during the debate. She then turned a friendly smile to the rest of the group. "Should I pull out a couple of snacks?" she asked.

"That is… kinda scary," Nia murmured. _"Definitely scary up close and personal like this."_ She grimaced at the thought. Then she blinked. Actually, that wasn't a bad thing to remember. Perhaps she could use that in a role in the future? The possibilities of using that made Nia grin.

"Nia, I heard a stream awhile back. Could you get some water?" Kagome asked, pulling empty bottles from her bag.

"Sure," she answered. She took the bottles, squeezing them close to her chest so that all of them would fit. It had been a week since the group had left that village behind. According to Miroku, it would take another three days to get to Kaede's village. _"The well probably won't work for me, but maybe I can set up shop in the village?" _Nia continued to walk, straining her ears for the sound of running water. "The longer I travel with Inuyasha, the more dangerous it's going to get." She scoffed. She shouldn't really be afraid. Six months of hell with Sesshomaru could make anyone fearless. No wonder Rin was such a… brave girl. The foreign woman stopped. Her eyes looked up. "I wonder how Rin's doing," she mused. She smiled a bit. The little girl was quite charismatic in her own little way. It wasn't that weird to have Sesshomaru be pulled in by her. If Rin was to be trained properly, she could most likely become quite the superstar… if this was a different era, that is. "_Hm_… Perhaps I'll make her my protégé?"

Nia continued walking as thoughts, branching from her last comment came to her. She was unaware of her evil-like laughter. Finally, she came to the rapid flowing creek. The foreign woman dropped down near the edge. Still, the smirk remained on her face. Dropping all but one of the bottles, she then took the cap off. "Lord Sesshomaru," she spoke, placing the open bottle in the stream. "I haven't forgotten what you did to me. _Tsk, tsk,tsk_. You shouldn't have done it. My first plan was an utter failure, but my new plan is sure to work. Whether it's sending you to hell or making your life a living hell, I will make sure you _experience_ hell!" Nia filled the rest of plastic bottles, laughing to herself. _"Once it's over, you'll be begging me to forgive, giving your body up as a sacrifice."_ She giggled perversely at the thought. _"Instead of allowing you to do unspeakable things to me, like I had intended in the beginning, it is I who will do unspeakable things to you!"_

After finishing her task of filling the bottles, Nia picked them all up again. With thoughts still focused on her plan, she carried on with the evil laughter. "_Hohohoho_! I'm so diabolical, it hurts!"

"Diabolical, _huh_?"

"Sweet Jesus on a biscuit!" The bottles fell from her arms as Nia clutched the fabric covering her chest. The voice had startled her so much. Her poor heart hadn't been prepared for it. She turned irritated eyes to the one who had spooked her. Luckily, this was a demon that would not hurt her. "_Yah_…! Don't you know how rude it is to sneak up on someone?"

"Don't you know how crazy it is to talk to yourself?" The demon hopped over the stream. He crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes. "Haven't seen you in awhile, foreigner."

"Sorry," Nia replied. "I've been busying trying to… What are you even doing here, Koga?" The wolf demon tensed, causing Nia to raise her eyebrow. "What?" He averted his eyes.

"I guess you wouldn't know because you weren't there," he said. "Awhile back, me and Inuyasha were fighting this demon. In the end, we won, but both of us were pretty messed up during the battle. I saw with my own eyes. Without hesitation, Kagome ran to Inuyasha, risking her own life just to help him. She made her choice…"

"_Hm_… I _told_ you she was Inuyasha's woman!" Nia's bluntness made the wolf demon flinch, and then glare. _"I guess a year can change a person's perspective…"_ she thought. "But, Koga, what's that got to do with my question? You haven't explained why you're here. It's not for Kagome, right?"

"No… It's for you."

"… What?"

"I said it clearly the first time," Koga retorted. "I've come for you. I've thought about this long and hard, and you're going to be my new woman."

"…" Nia blinked once at the proclamation, and then just walked away. She heard Koga call out to her, but she ignored that, staring blankly into space. Her arm was grabbed. She was roughly turned around. This snapped her out of her stupor. "Are you an idiot?" The wolf demon seemed a bit perplexed.

"Idiot…?"

"You can't just go proclaiming women as yours whenever you feel like it!" Nia stated. "Are you just going to ignore what happened last time because of your impulsiveness?" His grip on her arm slackened. The foreigner pulled away from his grasp. "Why do you want a woman so badly that you'd settle for someone you don't know?"

"…" His eyes were on the ground. Nia was ashamed to admit that she felt a bit guilty. This was probably the first time he had been rejected. With Kagome, she had never denied or validated Koga's claim on her. With Ayame, he was the one who did the rejecting. "Is it so wrong…?" he questioned. "Is it so wrong to want to have someone by your side no matter what?" Nia's eyes widen. He must have been more shaken up about Kagome choosing Inuyasha over him than he was letting on. "Like you said, I'm the leader of my pack. It'll look bad if there is no one by my side. I have to set an example!" He looked back up, eyes blazing determination. "You're a seer, so I choose you. You're going to become my woman."

"No."

"Fast."

"I don't love you, and you don't love me. Being your woman wouldn't give either of us benefits, so there is no point in a strong relationship between us," Nia shook her head, scoffing. "Don't be so ignorant, Koga." He narrowed his eyes, but she did not care. "You are selfish as hell. Don't do this again. Got it?" With a roll of her eyes, the foreigner turned to go. She only took a few steps before a sudden thought struck her. No benefits…? No benefits? What the hell was that? There was one benefit in becoming Koga's woman. Her cheeks warmed. Nia cleared her throat. "If I may ask…" she began, shifting her glasses on her face. "What does being your woman include?"

"… Why?"

"I'm curious," Nia answered. She turned to face him. "Like… would there be… _things_ involved?" Her eyebrows went up and down in a suggestive manner. Koga's eyebrows furrowed. "Things involving a man and a woman—_this and that_?" Still, the confused expression remained. "This and that! This and that!" Her arms wrapped around his neck, forcing his face closer to hers. "Sex-u-al things?" To her delight—and surprise—Koga's face changed. He appeared startled and embarrassed. Not to mention his cheeks took on a deep red color. His hands grabbed her arms, attempting to pry her off. However, Nia clung like glue. He took steps back, but tripped over one of the water bottles. Both fell down, ending up in the water.

Koga coughed and sputtered once his face surfaced. Nia was still on top of him. However, her arms were crossed. She stared down at him. "You're perverted!" he exclaimed. The wolf demon sat up a bit, but the foreign woman didn't budge.

"No, I'm _forward_," she corrected. "I suppose you haven't come across a woman like me before, _ne_?" She sighed heavily, closing her eyes. "Why are men like this when it comes to a sexually aggressive woman? They should be happy, right?" She finally looked down at him again. Koga involuntarily froze under her gaze. Nia uncrossed her arms and moved them into the water—on either side of his body. She smirked, not minding the coldness of the flowing water. She leaned in close, and Koga found himself sinking down. She suddenly scoffed, and then unceremoniously got off of him. She sighed again, and then collected the water bottles. Once she stood straight up again, she turned her back on him. "Koga, don't be offended, but I would break you. Wolves mate for life, right? A virgin like you just doesn't have what it takes." Without another word, she walked away, leaving the wolf demon there, absolutely bewildered.

Once she was far enough away from that area, Nia let out a disappointed sigh. She had just given up on sex all because she would feel a little bad if she had taken Koga's virginity. There were no feelings involved. She didn't want to do that to him. Her first time, she had been in love. Well, she loved him a lot. _"It would be assholish of me to take something that won't come back just because I've been deprived for a year and a half."_ Another sigh escaped her lips. _"I kinda hope the well works for me."_ If it does, maybe she could pay someone to have sex with her. That'd be great… if she had money. Plus, it was kind of illegal. _"This is so sad… Can't I at least get a hot and heavy kiss? Is it so wrong for me to want tha-?"_

Her thought was immediately cut off by sounds of screaming. The screaming sounded like Kagome and Shippo. By this point, Nia had stopped walking. Perhaps she should wait until after the demon encounter was over? Sure, she trained with Sesshomaru for six months. However, she had yet to encounter a strong enemy demon. There was Masajun, the snake demon who could possess humans, but he was considered _weaker_ than a human. "I'll just stay here," Nia murmured, nodding her head. She dropped down, holding squeezing the bottles. It should be over in a few minutes, anyway. What could she do?

After a few minutes were over, and the sounds of battle did not cease, Nia rolled her eyes. Actually, she didn't really know how long random demon battles were. "What do they think they're doing?" She sighed. "How long do they expect me to stay in this position?" Her legs were turning to cramp. Slowly, she stood up. Sure enough, her legs felt numb. She swung them back and forth, trying to get the feeling back. She dropped the bottles from her arms. A grunt reached her ears. With another eye roll, she moved forward towards the campsite. She was noticed right away.

"Nia, stay back!" Inuyasha shouted. His sword was out, blocking an attack from the sky. "She wants you!"

"Who wants me?" She looked up to see who was attacking. "Oh."

"What do you mean by that?" Kagome nearly screeched. "Don't sound so nonchalant about the enemy wanting you! That's Kagura! She works for _Naraku_!"

"… _Ah_."

"NIA!" Several of her friends shouted.

"So he's finally found me?" She scoffed, ignoring the in sync yells._ "'Bout time the guy got off his ass… but not really because he's sending a minion," _she thought. _"Naraku's probably a lazy ass anyway."_ Nia narrowed her eyes up at the antagonist's incarnation. Red eyes glare right back down at her. Despite the situation, Nia found herself smirking. "I'll go quietly," she said.

"Have you-" Sango stared in disbelief.

"Lost your-" Miroku's jaw dropped.

"FUCKING MIND?" Inuyasha screamed.

"Don't be silly," Nia told them. She waved up at the wind sorceress. "I'll go with you, so stop attacking and come down." Keeping the surprise from her facial expression, Kagura slowly lowered, and then jumped from her large feather.

"Why the sudden change of heart?" Kagura asked.

"It's not a change," Nia answered. She stepped forward, only to have Inuyasha stand in her way. "Oh, Inuyasha, you care so much about me?" She poked her lips out and closed her eyes. Annoyed, he swatted her head. "Ouch…!"

"Don't get the wrong idea, stupid!" The half demon crossed his arms. "Do you really want to go off again? Last time you were gone for six months! Who knows what Naraku-" Inuyasha was pulled forward because Nia had latched her fingers onto his clothes.

"I do realize that you use brawn over brain, so let me clearly say that this is a window of opportunity!" she nearly hissed. "Don't go screwing this up! You want to catch and kill him, right?" Stiffly, Inuyasha nodded his head. He was going to get her back for the insult later, though. "Okay then, let me see if I can use my… _talents_ on him. If you start freaking out then by all means follow my scent." Once he nodded again, she released him. The foreign woman smiled, and then continued walking over to Kagura. "See you guys later! … Maybe!"

The two women took off, by use of a giant feather, before anyone else could protest. As they flew, Nia had to wonder what type of persona she should take on in front of Naraku. Her eyes shifted to Kagura. Her eyes were impassive, yet there was a frown on her face. She didn't always used to like this demon. However, as the plot of _Inuyasha_ went on, Kagura had grown on her. She was a strong, independent woman, after all. The only problem was that she was under Naraku's control because he had something she needed to be truly free—her heart. Nia narrowed her eyes. Now she knew what she would use. "Is there a reason you're staring at me?" Kagura asked, sounding irritated. She hadn't even turned her eyes. Nia cleared her throat.

"So-Sorry…! I-I-I-I-I ca-ca-can't ta-ta-take this things!" She shivered and hugged herself.

"What?"

"Pl-Please get rid of th-them! The b-b-b-bees!" Tears swelled in the corner of her eyes. Kagura looked disgusted. "PLEASE! I'LL DIE! OH GOD! OH GOD!"

"Pathetic…" The wind witch scoffed. With a wave of her fan, the Saimyosho were destroyed. "Honestly, you travel with the half-demon, Inuyasha, and you're afraid of something as simple as those things?"

"Not really." Nia lifted her glasses to wipe the wetness from her eyes. Kagura looked back surprised at the sudden change in demeanor. No longer did the foreigner look a nervous wreck. She looked calm and composed. "Now we can talk privately without Naraku's insects around."

"Privately…?" Kagura repeated.

"Yes." Her glasses were put back in place. "I want to discuss your freedom. I want to try to help you obtain it."

"You _what_?" The foreigner now had her undivided attention. "What makes you think you can?"

"I'm not that confident. I said _try_, meaning there is a chance my plan will fail," Nia stated. "But risks are worth the end result right?" Slowly, the wind witch nodded her head. "Alright then, but there's a condition involved."

"Condition?"

"Yeah. Stay away from Lord Sesshomaru."

"Huh?"

"That demon is the root of all evil! Even a strong woman like you would turn docile and meek if near him for long periods of time! I don't want that to happen to you!"

"… You sound as though you think I'm in love with him."

"Aren't you?"

"No." However, the blush on her face told Nia otherwise. This caused her to call Kagura out on it. "It's not him! It's… someone else." This was a shocking development!

"Who?" She had to know. If not Sesshomaru, then who? Kagura looked away, the universal sign that stated she was hesitant on telling. "Tell me, and I'll _make_ sure you get your freedom!"

"I… I don't know his name. I've only seen him a couple of times," she murmured. "But… he's very handsome."

"That helps a whole lot, Kagura!"

"What do you want from me? I said I didn't know his name!" Naraku's deviant incarnation glared. "All I know is that he's a wolf demon."

"… K-Koga…?"

"What? No."

"_Haah_… I suppose it doesn't matter right now," Nia finally said. She shook her head a bit to rid herself of thoughts of a giggling, gossiping, schoolgirl. "Now, let's get down to business, shall we?"

0-0


	8. Chapter 7 and a Half

It get a bit steamy in this chapter, so avert ye eyes, young kiddies! Mature audiences only!

0-0

"And that's how we'll escape."

"You are sick and twisted," the wind witch remarked. "There is something wrong with you."

"Why does everyone keep saying that?"

"Maybe you should get the hint?"

"_Hahaha_—no."

The two women had been flying for about an hour. Nia has told her plan in great and—in Kagura's opinion—unnecessary detail. The familiar sight of Naraku's territory came into view. Honestly, all his hideouts looked the same. It shouldn't be so hard for Inuyasha's group to find him. Just go to every dark and creepy castle they could find. _Eventually_ they would come across him. Nia shook her head as the feather headed straight into the barrier. As Kagura was his incarnation, she could freely pass through. The foreign woman inhaled deeply, and then slowly released. She then yanked the hair tie, letting her braids fall freely. "Action," she murmured.

Kagura heard the whisper and turned to her… comrade. She stared, somewhat astonished, that the woman's face changed from the laid back one. It was like she had deemed it too taxing to have any other expression. However, the facial features she now had was similar to a child—a naïve one at that. Her sudden change in body language gave off a… bubbly feeling. Kagura found her lip twitching. It made her uncomfortable. "You'll have to jump," she informed. Nia nodded her head. When Kagura gave the signal, they both hopped from the giant feather. They had been close enough to the ground for the human not to sustain any injuries from the fall. The feather returned to its natural form and floated into Kagura's open palm. She was quick to return the feather to her hair.

Laughter filled the area, and it went a little something like "_Kukukukuku_!" Kagura shook her head a bit. Why did he insist on putting on a show the first time around? "I'm surprised you've come so willingly, foreign woman." His body appeared above. His small red barrier floated down. It disappeared when his feet touched the ground. Nia took this time to examine his body. She narrowed her eyes. He had already gotten his creepier body. Seeing this, he obviously didn't need her, so it was not him to summon her to this world. Well, shit… How did she get here then? It'd be great if she could know sooner than later. "Questions answered are what I desire."

"Seriously…? I mean, that's it?" Nia questioned. She wiped the nonexistent sweat from her forehead. "Oh jeez, I thought it was something terrible like… like you eating my flesh and soul… or something worse." She grinned at antagonist. "Inuyasha was sure wrong about you!" Naraku could only blink.

"… Yes…" he finally said.

"So what do you want to know? Inuyasha's a hothead, you know. If might bring the place down if I'm not back with him soon, so let's get this over with quickly!" Nia continued. "I'll answer any question you have!" Naraku blinked again before refocusing his attention on his incarnation. She looked a bit disturbed. She caught his gaze, and then shrugged. Naraku turned back to the foreign woman. She still had that ridiculous lopsided grin on her face. Surely, she was a foolish one.

"Where are you from?" Naraku began.

"_Eh_…?" She nervously rubbed the back of her head. "Where I'm from… Well, I told Lord Sesshomaru before, and he kinda didn't believe me. Can we go to the next question?"

"No."

"_Oh_…" She genuinely looked disappointed. "Well, I come from a place called Amirika." She chuckled a bit. "And yes, there are a lot more people who share my skin color."

"Then-"

"You know what? I'm bored with this Twenty Questions! What do you guys do for fun around here?" Nia boldly interrupted the powerful demon. It was a risky move, but for now she had to act dense.

"Fun…?" Naraku was so caught off guard by her question that he could only repeat the word that had shocked him the most.

"Yeah, fun! You know… _fun_!" Nia smiled warmly. "Here, I'll explain." She cleared her throat. "F is for Friends who do stuff together! U is for you and me!" Kagura inched away from the cheerful woman. "N is for anywhere and anytime at all! Down here in the deep, blue…" Nia chuckled. "I guess this place isn't really a sea. That'd be silly." She twirled one of her braids around her index finger. "You can try, too, Naraku."

"What?"

"Yeah, have fun!"

"… Fun…" Naraku said. Nia nodded, smiling all the while. "F is for… Fucking the shit out of it. U is for you on your knees… in front of me. N is for-" It was then he noticed the expression on the two women's faces. Kagura's eyes were wide. Nia's mouth was hanging open. And that is when he realized what exactly had come out of his mouth. "This is completely idiotic!"

"K-Ka… Kagura…!" Nia stiffly turned her head towards the wind witch. "You didn't tel-tell me he was-"

"I had no clue either!"

Nia turned her eyes back to Naraku. He glared at her, probably for making him participate in something so moronic. But it was because of his participation that she was now seeing him in a new light. His body didn't seem all that creepy now. In fact, those tentacle-like things coming from his back at _some_ attractiveness to it. _"Hm… Tentacles do have its uses, don't they?"_ she thought. Truly she had watched _too_ much hentai in her early teens. Nia took the hair tie from her wrist, and then put her braids up in a high ponytail—the style she usually wore. _"This changes everything!"_ She walked forward with a smirk on her face.

Slightly horrified, Kagura watched the foreign women practically sashay her way over to Naraku. _"What is she doing? This isn't a part of the plan!" _The wind demon nearly snarled out. She had sat for about an hour, listening to a detailed plan, and what she was doing was not a part of that plan. And from the way Nia have described it, it seemed plausible that it could work. But deviating from it could cause problems! _"My freedom…"_

Meanwhile, Nia had pranced over to Naraku. _"How is it that this woman is not afraid?"_ he asked himself. The foreigner now stood directly in front of him. _"Surely Inuyasha has told her what I've done." _He frowned. And the change that had just come about… Only a few moments ago did the foreigner seem like a fragile and oblivious woman. Now, she seemed to be determined. The look in her eye had changed. Naraku, so deep in thought, pondering this sudden change, did not notice the foreigner's lips on his own until retching noises from Kagura alerted him of such. His eyes grew wide, and then looked down at the foreign woman's closed eyes. Slowly, she pulled back, fluttering her eyes open. Naraku could only stand there, stunned into silence.

"If I said I want your body now, would you hold it again me~?" she sang out.

"…"

"Nia! What do you think you're _doing_?" Kagura's shout made the foreigner frown.

"Don't be a twat swatter, Kagura," she said. She then rolled her eyes. "I get enough of that from Kagome's ass." It was at that moment that Naraku took a step back.

"What are you doing?" he questioned. Most of him was still shocked by the woman's actions.

"Something I've been deprived of since I got here," Nia answered, moving her eyebrows up and down.

"I think I might puke…" Kagura remarked.

"Shut _up_, Kagura!" Nia shouted, and then turned her attention back to Naraku. He was still in alarm. With a sigh, she reached up and gripped his collar, yanking him forward. Instead of chaste, like the last one, this kiss was quite forceful. She pressed hard against his lips, and then bit down on his lower one. Unintentionally gasping, Naraku's lips were bypassed by Nia's tongue. Like a snake, it slithered in, twirling around his own tongue. Nia felt his hands on her shoulders. However, she wasn't pushed away. In fact, his fingers curled.

"I'm going to be sick. Seriously, my stomach is about to exit my mouth!" Kagura gagged out. Mentally groaning, Nia reared her head back, stopping the kiss.

"Leave then! My God! Can't you see I'm trying to get _my groove back_?"

"Bu-But you-"

Again, Nia sighed loudly. Her hazel eyes gazed up at Naraku, who appeared under the influence. "Ne, Naraku… Can't you _do_ something about her, so she'll stop interrupting?" Without a word, he removed his right hand from her shoulder. He turned his hand. In his appeared a beating heart. Her eyes widen at the sight of it. She could hear the sharp gasp from Kagura. That was her heart! Mentally, Nia shook her head. She had gotten so preoccupied that she had nearly forgotten her objective. Slowly, Naraku's fingers curled around the heart. The wind sorceress dropped to her knees, clutching her chest. She cried out. _"Shit, shit, shit, shit! What should I do?"_ Nia thought. Her eyes narrowed. She breathed out as her hand touched Naraku's. He stopped squeezing the heart. "So you literally have her life in your hands?" Nia inquired, feigning intrigued. "I wish we had something like this where I come from." Her eyes cut to Kagura. "Certain people need to learn their _place_!" Red eyes virtually _hissed_ traitor.

"Do you want to try, woman?" Naraku asked. Pretending to be confused, Nia turned her eyes back to him. "Clearly you have pent up aggression. Do what you will for her countless interrupting." Naraku actually transferred the heart into Nia's hand. To her amazement, it transformed into a small round ball. She smirked before looking at the miserable and angry Kagura. Their eyes locked. Hazel eyes averted for just a moment. Red eyes went wide. And then Nia squeezed—she squeezed so hard that Kagura screamed out. Blood shot out of her mouth. The foreign woman immediately stopped the torture by releasing her hold. Still the pain lingered for Kagura. She collapsed, writhing on the ground. A chuckle escaped her lips. "_Ah_, so you like to cause others pain."

"That deserves it, of course." Her body turned back around to face Naraku. She tilted her head up. She licked her lips, enticing the half-demon. "Kiss me. Ki-Ki-Kiss me. Infect me with your loving. Fill me with your poison. Take me. Ta-Ta-Take me. Wanna be a victim. Ready for-" Naraku silenced the singing by roughly kissing her. Nia wrapped her arms about his neck. It was difficult because of his armor, but she managed. However, when he picked her up, causing her to wrap her legs around him as well, the armor poked her skin. She pulled back, grimacing. "It hurts…" she murmured.

Naraku paused. The smell of blood drifted into his nose. Narrowing his eyes, he slowly set her back on solid ground. The foreign woman was only human, after all. Nia had to hold back a smirk as she watched Naraku transform. By the time he stopped, he looked as he did before, at the beginning of the series. Of course that didn't mean he was less powerful. However, it did make it more vulnerable. "Are you satisfied now?" Naraku questioned. This time, Nia did not hold her smirk back. She ran around him, heading into the castle. Wicked red eyes slowly followed her departing form. "So you intend for me to chase you?"

0-0

Nia quickly shut the door to the room she was in. Her eyes darted around in search of any type of container. She had distracted him for the time being, but if he realized that she still possessed Kagura's heart, then this whole thing was for naught. Well… that wasn't exactly true. In the end, she still benefited from this plan. With a perverted grin, she took a long stride further into the room. She found an item she could use. It wasn't a container, though. It was a simple rectangular cloth made of silk. Shrugging, she pulled the ball—Kagura's heart—from her cleavage. She placed it on top of the cloth, and then folded the cloth several times. The cloth was then tightly tied around Nia's right ankle. The woman stood up and wiggled her leg a few times. The knot did not come undone. "Good," she thought, returning her foot to the ground.

A loud banging noise filled her ears, causing her to flinch. Behind her, Naraku stood. A smirk is what he wore on his face. "You didn't run very far," he said.

"Naraku," Nia nearly purred. Before she faced him, she slid off her glasses. "Playing hard to get awakens a man's hunter instincts. I did it for you." The demon entered the room, closing the door behind him. Nia finally turned around.

"It seems I have cornered my prey then," he replied, moving closer. His hands gripped her forearms, pulling her closer. Nia didn't mind this at all.

"So stop talking and _eat_ me."

She was thrown on the floor. Seconds later, Naraku was on top of her. "Are you sure your human body can handle this?" His lips trailed down her cheek to her neck. His teeth sank into flesh, but it wasn't enough to cause bloodshed. Although he had asked, he had no intention of stopping now. But, he couldn't deny that his curiosity had risen. He stopped his assault to look into her eyes. "Why are you allowing this? You haven't fallen for me, have you?"

"Don't be silly, Naraku…" Nia stroked his cheek. "It's because you're the same as me. Maybe this is what happens when a volcano meets a tornado, ne? Your definition of fun made me realize that you also have pent up sexual desires. Let's release this tension together." Her lips touched his. "Isn't it time, Naraku?"

A fierce kiss was her answer. Brown fingers gripped his clothes, yanking the fabric from his shoulders. Naraku took the quickest way and ripped her clothes right now the middle. Too caught in the heated kiss, Nia didn't acknowledge this. His tongue was quite distracting. He pulled back, only to nip at her neck again. His large hand gripped her right breast, squeezing her nipple with his thumb and index finger. Expectedly, Nia gasped loudly as Naraku continued to fondle her. She couldn't help the guttural chuckle that erupted. Naraku didn't seem to mind for he was licking the area around her clavicle. His hold on her breast became harder as his tongue moved further down to her left nipple. Her body jerked at his touch. Naraku definitely wasn't a virgin. He seemed way too experienced to be one. Virgin… The fleeting thought made Nia crack her eyes open. She stared up at the ceiling. An image of Koga appeared, causing her eyes to grow wide. Why was she thinking about him?

"_Shit, this is too much…"_ Nia thought. She couldn't let Naraku had his way with her, no matter how much she wanted him to. Inuyasha and Kagome, and everyone else for that matter, wouldn't let her forget it. Mentally rolling her eyes and sighing, Nia grabbed a fistful of Naraku's hair with left hand. She pulled him up and met his eyes. His eyebrows furrowed, yet he said nothing. Nia bit her bottom lip before maneuvering her right hand down his hakama pants. Her fingers curled around his arousal. Naraku's lips parted and his eyes closed. He released several throaty groans as he moved in resistance to her hand. Licking his lips, he moved in to kiss the woman underneath him again. However, she clutched. Shuddering breaths exited his mouth. Nia gently rubbed her parted lips against his. His tongue darted out, finding hers. They weaved and curled around each other.

Nia internally smirked before delivering a dose of electrical energy into Naraku's body. The dosage was worse than it should have been because he was connected by tongue. Not to mention his manhood was in her hand. The demon convulsed wildly for several moments before going limp on top of the woman. She waited a few seconds, and then pulled her hand from his pants. After pushing the unconscious Naraku off, Nia sat up. She wiped the sweat from her brow, and then stood. With her foot, she nudged his body. Yup, he was out like a light, and probably wasn't going to get up anytime soon. She may have hated Sesshomaru, but the hellish training he had put her through helped immensely. Still, it was Naraku, so she had been get a move on before he woke up. Squinting, she searched around for her glasses. They had been knocked out of her hand during that little session. Luckily she found them before her foot could crush the frame. Once the glasses were back on her face, the foreigner left the room, leaving the half-demon half naked on the floor. Quickly, she ran back to the courtyard. Kagura was still there, on the ground. "Kagura, get up, you're fine." The wind witch hissed at her, causing her to roll her eyes. "Seriously, was it that bad?"

"How about I rip your heart from your chest, and then squeeze so hard that you'll pass out from the pain?" Kagura growled. Nia waved off her threat.

"Let's go. My work here is done," she said. Slowly, Kagura returned to her feet. She had noticed Nia's ruffled appearance.

"Do I even want to know?"

"Well, if you do, I wouldn't mind telling you, but that would take time, so…" Nia trailed off, unaware that a perverted grin reached her eyes. Kagura dry heaved. Nia rolled her eyes again. "Anyway, sorry about that. But we can talk later when you take me back to Inuyasha. Let's go before Naraku wakes up!"

0-0

"_Again_ with the pacing, Kagome?" Inuyasha shouted.

"What do you expect me to _do_? Nia's alone with Naraku!" Kagome angrily retorted. She stopped in place and glared at the half-demon. Her hands were clenched at her sides. "Don't you wonder what's going on?"

"Please calm down, Kagome," Sango tried to soothe her friends anger before the sit command could be used to murder the annoyed half-demon. "Nia did train under Sesshomaru for several months. Surely, she knows how to defend herself."

"Sango's right," Miroku agreed. "She won't be so easily killed. Besides, she did say she could act herself out of any situation, didn't she?"

"If she could survive with Sesshomaru for a long time, then she's just fine with Naraku!"

"Shut up, Inuyasha!" Kagome hissed. The two ended up glaring at each other. Sango and Miroku simultaneously sighed. Shippo merely shook his head. Suddenly, Kagome sharply turned her head East. "Two shards are coming this way fast!"

"Great—the wolf is back," Inuyasha nearly rolled his eyes. He didn't have the time or patience to deal with him. Seconds later, Koga appeared. He looked around several times before zoning in on the half demon. "What the hell do you want?"

"Where's Nia?" he questioned. Inuyasha opened his mouth to give a retort, but Kagome interrupted him.

"Mr. Sensitive here let her go off with Kagura!" she shouted.

"Shut up, Kagome!"

"WHAT?" Koga growled. "She's with Naraku?"

"By now… yeah…" Sango's brown eyes looked at the setting sun. "It has gotten so late, but there's no sign of her." She frowned a bit. "I'm worried. Maybe we shouldn't have let her go…"

"See…?"

"Kagome, please…" Miroku calmly spoke. "Your comments are not necessary. Also, Inuyasha must have a reason for letting her go." The schoolgirl huffed indignantly and crossed her arms. His eyes expanded. "I sense a demonic aura! It's Kagura!" Immediately, Inuyasha's sword was out and ready to attack.

"I can't smell Nia!" he growled.

"No, she's with her," Koga stated. He snarled. "Naraku's stench is overpowering her scent." Within a few moments, the large feather came into few. And then the two women jumped, landing in front of the group. "Nia…!" Kagome and Koga exclaimed in unison.

"… What's he doing here?" Nia pointed a finger at the wolf demon, but her eyes were on Inuyasha.

"Do you have to be so cold?" Koga's shoulders slouched.

"What happened to you?" Kagome screeched. "What happened to your clothes?"

"_Ah_… Naraku got a little frisky," Nia answered. "_Hohohoho_!"

"What the hell does that mean?" Inuyasha asked.

"Not important. What is important is-" Her eyes looked at Kagura. "-Our new comrade." She grinned. "I set Kagura free." For a few moments, the others merely stared at her, speechless. And then, she finally got a reaction.

"Again-" Kagome began.

"Have you-" Miroku said

"Lost you- " Sango blinked.

"FUCKING MIND?" Inuyasha and Koga yelled in unison.

0-0

Huh. I only received three reviews for the last chapter... Perhaps I should stop attempting to crank out good chapters for this story? And discontinue all together? _Haaah_...


	9. Chapter 8

"So let me get this straight," Inuyasha said. The half demon had taken a liking to that phrase, and other phrases Nia liked to use. "You freed Kagura, _Naraku's_ incarnation, our _enemy_, because you _like_ her?" The foreign woman rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. His emphasis on his words only caused irritation.

"Yes, Inuyasha, I released Kagura from Naraku's control," she answered as if she were talking to partially deaf person. "Now… before we continue with this conversation, can I have some extra clothes, please? I really don't like having my goodies out if I'm not about to get some." Her friends sputtered her name as if this was the first time she had made such a comment. "Yeah, that's what they scream!" Kagome shook her head, and then pulled her yellow bag from her back. Out came an extra school uniform. "Thank you." She snatched the clothes away. "I'll be back in a few!" She waved, and then disappeared behind the cover of trees.

The group was left to stare at Kagura, suspicion clearly in their expression. However, the wind witch merely looked away, appearing quite bored. Inuyasha did not remove his hand from the hilt of his sword even when Nia returned, moving to stand near Kagura. She pulled at the shirt, complaining how tight it was around her chest. Kagome gave her a glare at the implication. Ignoring it, Nia twisted her hips, watching the skirt sway. "Hello…! Focus, Nia! There's an enemy standing right beside you!" Inuyasha shouted. The foreigner frowned.

"What more do you want from me?" she questioned. "I can't just go back and return her to Naraku. She's free—get _over_ it." She lifted her right leg and slowly untied the knot. Once that task was finished, she transferred the cloth to Kagura. "There you go. Do what you want." The wind demon's eyes widen. She could feel her heart pulsating. Gradually, the cloth was removed. It dropped to the ground. Every watched as the ball turned into a beating heart. "This is how Naraku controlled her," Nia explained. "Now that she has this, she's as free as the wind." Kagura looked towards her. For once, her face was not impassive or angry. A genuine smile crossed her features. She pressed the heart to her chest and closed her eyes. The heart seemed to slide into her body. She gasped, feeling it beating inside where it belonged.

"I can… I can feel," Kagura whispered. Her eyelids lowered a bit. Her hand still gripped her chest. "I'm… I'm free."

"Congratulations," Nia said, and then yawned. "Can I take a nap now?"

"No!" Everyone shouted. Inuyasha pointed a finger. "Just how the hell did you manage to get Kagura's freedom, let alone escape, from Naraku?" He seemed pretty upset about it. "I've fought Naraku countless times. We have been injured countless times because of him, but you don't even have a _scratch_?" Nia blinked once, and then grinned.

"That's because I didn't fight him at all," she answered with a wave of her hand. "And I assure that I did not come out of this without with pain." She spread her legs apart and lifted the skirt to reveal her thighs. Ignoring shouts of her name, she touched her broken skin, wincing because it still stung. "It's still bleeding, too…" Her wrist was roughly grabbed. "What the hell, Koga?"

"Just what happened between you and Naraku?" he yelled. His sudden behavior caused everyone to blink in confusion. "You smell too much like him! _What_ happened?"

"Don't bare your teeth at me!" Nia retorted. She tried pulling away, but his grip was strong. The foreigner scoffed and looked away. "We were in close proximity, so no shit I smell like him. And anyway, it's none of your business!"

"It is my business!"

"Why?"

"Because you're my woman!"

"… Huh?" Kagome blinked several times at the response. Sango and Miroku looked a bit baffled as well. "What did you just say, Koga?" The wolf demon turned to her, yet he did not release Nia's arm.

"I said she's my woman," was his simple reply.

"No the hell I'm not! Don't tell people th-" Before Nia could finish her protest, Koga picked her up, left arm under her knees while the right hand supported her back, and took off. Her screams could be heard for another moment before it was abruptly cut off. The group stared at the spot where the two disappeared. Inuyasha's nose twitched. He could still smell them where Koga stopped. His lips parted, still not fully understanding the situation.

"Oh wow," Kagome murmured. Her fingertips touched her lips. "Nia not only set Kagura free, but me, too."

0-0

Nia huffed indignantly from her spot on the ground. Koga had just thrown her down, and now he was pacing back and forth, grumbling to himself. With a roll of her eyes, she sat up, and then pressed her back to the tree. She watched him pace for about five minutes before she got fed up. "Koga… Maybe I wasn't clear the first time, but let me say it again. Do not go around calling me your woman especially if I'm not getting anything out of-" Suddenly, on his knees, the wolf demon appeared in front of her. Stunned, Nia's eyes could only widen. She had forgotten how fast he was. Koga practically snarled in her face. His fist smashed into the tree behind her. With a crack, the wood splintered.

"Don't think I don't know what you did!" he growled. "Inuyasha may not be able to smell it, but I can."

"Smell what?"

"Naraku… I can smell him on your neck, on your lips-" His teeth grinded. "-on your _hand_!" Mentally, Nia winced. "Why…?" His breathing sounded labored. "Why would you do that with the enemy? Any other man… Any other man would do, but you chose _him_? Why?" She scoffed.

"I did what I needed to do to ensure that Kagura and I could get away after I retrieved her heart," Nia stated. "I didn't have sex with him, though. I care nothing for Naraku, so I didn't _choose_ him." Although she had explained the situation, the snarl was not removed from his face. She sighed in thought. "_Na_, Koga… Why are you so upset?"

"You _know_ why! You're my-"

"Get it into your head, Koga! I rejected you!"

"Why?"

"Because I don't love you! I will not become yours simply because you proclaimed it!"

"But you let _Naraku_ kiss all over?"

"I just released my pent up sexual tension. And anyway, it was also to get Kagura free."

"I don't care about Kagura!" His hands wrapped around her triceps. His nails dug painfully into her skin. Still, Nia did not look away from his narrowed eyes. "You… You can't do that anymore."

"Why are you so persistent?" she finally asked. "You were never this way with Kagome." Koga bowed his head. Slowly, his claws were removed her Nia's skin. Still on his knees, he sat up.

"Maybe if I had been more persistent, she would be mine."

Nia's eyebrow twitched as the realization dawned on her. Koga had made it obvious why he was doing this. "I see now…" she said. "You're still in love with Kagome." His head shot up. The wolf demon gave her an incredulous stare. "You might have impulsively announced that you were in love with her that first time you met, but gradually you really did begin to love her. And then you realized that her heart already belonged to Inuyasha." Koga knitted his eyebrows together, and then turned his cheek, settling his gaze elsewhere. Nia continued speaking regardless. "Because of that, you're trying to use me as a scapegoat—a substitute." She narrowed her own eyes. "Koga, I cannot and will not be your second Kagome." Surprisingly, a chuckle slipped from his lips.

"You're really are a seer," he said.

"Huh?"

"You said you know everything about anything, so that makes you a seer," Koga explained.

"Right, right," Nia muttered. She rolled her eyes. _"I can't believe he still remembers that,"_ she thought. The foreign woman cleared her throat. "Koga," she got his attention. His blue eyes finally looked her way again. "You have to sort out your feelings. You will be stuck, alone, until you can move on. This matters of the heart…" Nia lowered her eyelids. "They must be settled or you'll drown within yourself."

"… Sounds like you've had some problems yourself," Koga remarked.

"_Nah_, I've just been trained to observe people and their situations." Nia waved off his comment.

"Oh," he replied, though he didn't really understand what she meant. "_Ah_, you're still bleeding." His eyes shifted down. Nia looked down as well. A sour look appeared on her face. Her blood should have clotted by now! Scowling, she opened her legs to examine her inner thighs. She squeezed, watching more blood slid down her skin.

"_Stupid Naraku… What's that armor made of, anyway?"_

A hand touched her knee, causing her eyes to look up. Koga, though, kept his eyes on the small injury. "Here, let me," he said. Before Nia could utter a word of protest, the wolf demon leaned down and pulled at her leg. Her behind shifted forward on the ground and her pelvic region tilted up. "It'll only take a moment." That was the only warning she got before Koga stuck his head in between her legs. He then turned his head and proceeded to lick her thigh were the bleeding was occurring. Unsurprisingly, a high moan came from Nia's lips. Just feeling his wet appendage sliding across her skin made her hot. She moaned again, squeezing her eyes shut. Her cheeks warmed considerably as his mouth sucked on her skin.

"K-Koga…! Wh-What are you doing?" she panted out. The blissful tortured stopped for a moment.

"I'm almost done," he said. "Stop making those noises." Koga went back to work, sending her spiraling into heaven. His warm breath touched her skin. Nia managed to stifle her moan of ecstasy by pressing the back of fingers to her lips. The wolf demon turned his head, performing the same to her right thigh. By the time he was finished, Nia was left panting as if she had run a marathon. Sweat slid from temple down her jaw line. Inside her chest, her heart pumped rapidly. Koga pulled away, looking up. He blinked as his nose twitched. "… I was just healing you…" he stated. "Why are you aroused?"

"Oh man…" Nia sighed out as she straightened her sitting posture. Koga released her legs. "Is this what they call _sexual healing_?" Her palm rubbed her forehead. Her hand slid down. With one eye visible, she stared at Koga. Her blood was on his bottom lip. "Keep this up and I might fall for you," she told him.

"_Huh_…?" He then scoffed. "You really are forward." Her reply was to show her teeth in a grin.

0-0

By the time Nia made it back to the others, they were all having friendly conversation. It was definitely a big difference from the hostile environment she was dragged away from. Speaking of which, Koga had decided to take off again. He said he would come back around whenever. Talk about vagueness. "_Eh_, Kagura, you're still here?" Nia commented. "I would have thought you'd go off to be free."

"I wanted to," Kagura answered. "However…" Her eyes shifted to the person she had been talking to. Sango. "She had mentioned Kohaku, and so we started talking about him."

"_Ah_."

"Turns out Kagura cares for my little brother and-"

"A bit," Kagura stressed, closing her eyes.

"Yes…" Sango continued. "She took care of him."

"So she's slightly less evil than I thought," Inuyasha grumbled.

"Why does he sound so bitter?"

"Kagome sat him quite a lot, and finally Inuyasha said Kagura could stay with us for awhile," Miroku answered. "At least until she's ready to move on." Nia blinked at his appearance. His right cheek was red and there were the beginnings of a black eye on the left side of his face.

"What happened to you?"

"He welcomed Kagura into the group with his line," Sango nearly hissed. "Serves you right, monk." Miroku sighed sadly.

"He had the nerve to fondle my behind, so I punched him," Kagura supplied. "The next time it happens I'm pulling that limb off." The human male shuddered while Sango smiled and nodded her head in agreement. Shippo shook his head, wondering if Miroku might end up dead with the new addition to the group. "Where's the wolf demon?" Kagura questioned.

"Oh, he ran off after he healed me," Nia said. She suddenly giggled and cupped her cheeks. "What an awesome way to heal~!"

"Nia, please keep your perverted thoughts to yourself," Kagome frowned. "Shippo's still a kid."

"He's older than you," she retorted, sitting down. "And besides, it's not like he's not used to it, right, Shippo."

"The things you say go in one ear and out the other," the fox demon replied.

"That's a good boy," Nia smiled as she fondly ruffled his hair. Then she frowned, turning her eyes to the schoolgirl. Kagome noticed her stare. "You," she said. "You need to stop beating around the bush."

"Huh? What?"

"Remember those words well, Kagome, or someone might get hurt," she continued.

"Are you threatening her?" Inuyasha asked, narrowing his eyes.

"What? Of course not—we're friends!" Nia smiled warmly.

"Hm…"

"Anyway," Nia tugged at one of her braids. "It's time to take these down again."

0-0

Nia surfaced from the hot spring with a large splash. The other female giggled lightly, excluding Kagura, who looked quite annoyed. She grinned as she rubbed her long curly hair. She had just finished thoroughly washing her hair. It felt so good to use real shampoo. It smelled so good. It wasn't as though the things she had used in that village didn't smell nice, but artificial smells were the best. A finger twirled around a lock of hair. She would probably wait until tomorrow to braid it up again. It was going to take almost an entire day. Inuyasha was bound to be pissed about that, but surely she could convince Kagome to _convince_ him.

"Hey, how faraway is Kaede's village from here?" Nia asked.

"Another two days, probably," Sango answered.

"Two…?" she sighed. "That sucks. I thought we would be there tomorrow."

"Why the rush?" Kagome asked, wringing out her hair.

"I was hoping to use a hair straightener."

"Flat iron…?"

"Flat iron, Kagome," Nia said. The schoolgirl nodded her head, and then explained that she never brought her back because there were no outlets. "Yeah, I know the frustration. It's too bad I left the one I made back at that village."

"You _made_ one?"

"Well… not me exactly," she said. The foreigner leaned back against the smooth rocks behind her and stared up at the night sky. "I traveled with Lord Sesshomaru for six months without redoing my braids. When I got to that village, I still didn't do anything… until I got fed up with how frizzy my braids were. I almost hacked my hair off, but then the idea suddenly struck. I kept saying that I needed hair straightener. Finally, one of the servants spoke up and asked me what that was. I gave the simplest answer I could, and that's when I realized that the materials for a flat iron were right under my nose! Iron! All I had to do is get someone to melt some weapons and form the object, and wala! I had my straightener. Whenever I needed to use it, I would just stick it in a fire."

"That's so cool!" Kagome gushed. "I wish I would have thought of that. No one else knows what a pain it is waking up with bed head and not being able to do anything about it."

"What are you two talking about?" Sango questioned. Both she and Kagura looked considerably confused.

"Sorry, guys," Kagome apologized. "Sango, you're great company, but it's really nice to have someone else from the future, too." She suddenly tensed, looking almost horrified. When she snapped back, with a gasp, her eyes shifted in another direction. "I sense the power of several shards!" Immediately, Sango stood up, going for a weapon.

"I smell Naraku!" Inuyasha and Miroku came through the trees, frantically searching.

"Inuyasha, it's coming this way!" Kagome stood up as well. And then all grew silent. The four of them had just realized their positions. Kagura and Nia exchanged a flat look. The screaming made them sigh in unison. Kagome, embarrassed, had slammed Inuyasha into the ground several times by use of the magical command. Miroku received countless rocks, and a boulder, pelted at him. The only reason that had happened was because he couldn't keep his perverted chuckles to himself. Quickly, the two got dressed as the men of the group groaned in obvious pain. "Aren't you going to get dressed?"

Kagura shrugged while Nia answered. "Actually, I'm not finished, so…" She turned her eyes away. Kagome scoffed as she fixed her skirt.

"Honestly, Nia, have you _no_ shame whatsoever?"

"I think I have a little bit," she replied, causing the schoolgirl to scowl. However, it was ignored in favor of turning her attention to Inuyasha, who had slowly risen from his punishment. "Now, what's this about Naraku?"

"He's coming!" was the shout.

"Great," Nia sarcastically said while rolling her eyes. The half-demon pulled his sword out, looking towards the skies. "Couldn't he wait until after I finished bathing?"

"Nia, this is no time for-" Sango was interrupted by the sounds of diabolical laughter. There was no mistake about it. It was Naraku's signature laugh. "He's here!" On cue, a white-baboon cloak-like covered figure appeared. Nia took this time to rinse her hair again. "If you've come for Kagura, then you're too late, bastard!" Speaking of the wind witch, she had taken Nia's approach and decided to ignore the situation. Well, tried to ignore it. She couldn't help her fingers inching towards her fan. "She has her heart. You can't control her anymore!"

"I care nothing for her or her heart," Naraku replied. Although none of them could see it, his gaze turned away. "I've only come for-" A finger was pointed. "-that woman."

"Me…?" Nia asked, pointing to herself.

"That's right… lover."

"…"

"…"

"WHAT THE FUCK DID HE JUST SAY?" Inuyasha nearly screamed.

0-0

Since I received six reviews for the last chapter, I decided to update. Still, that's not enough for someone like me because it feels as though my hard work at revising is going completely unnoticed. As great as I am at writing, I still want and need feedback. It's not enough to add me to your list. I want you to _comment_! I want to know what is happening to your _face_ as you're reading! Are you laughing, are you frowning, are you smacking your forehead with the palm of your hand-_what_? I want to know what you think about Nia and the situations that I put her in, because they're pretty shocking, let me tell you! Just... just leave _something_ behind. I like both reviews and comments. I like reviews more, but I'll take comments, too. And there is a difference, yes.

Okay, I'm done ranting now.

By the way, **Psychotic Rose**, you are awesome. That review made me want to update as quickly as possible, so I actually completed the chapter in one day thanks to you. I hope that you continue to review for future chapters because you are amazing... JUST THE WAY YOU ARE~!


	10. Chapter 9

Wow, wow, wee whoa! **Psychotic Rose**, alone, has made me update this quickly despite not receiving as many reviews as I would have liked. If this person continues to review, it will not matter how many reviews I receive, as long as Psychotic Rose is one of them, I will be happy super happy and satisfied! Now, on with the story.

0-0

"Nia... Please tell me that Naraku has a _really_ bad sense of humor," Kagome pleaded.

"No, if he had that, babies would be punched," she answered. The foreigner, though she answered, was still preoccupied with scrubbing her right arm. She sounded so nonchalant about the situation that it pissed a lot of people off, especially Inuyasha.

"What the hell, Nia?" He pointed a finger. "I thought you were Koga's woman now!"

"Don't go repeating stuff you don't know anything about!"

"WHAT?" Naraku's shout caused the group to turn back to him. "I see once again that that fool of wolf has impulsively acted again. But I assure you that Nia belongs to me, alone."

"I don't belong to anyone," Nia said. Finally, she crawled out of the hot spring. She ignored the complaints about her indecent exposure in favor of drying off. However, Naraku's cloak wrapped around her, covering up her body. The red-eyed demon had moved so fast that no one had seen him. He had told her that she wasn't allowed to show her flesh to anyone but him. He had returned to his bone-armored form. Nia's eyebrow twitched. She hated this form now because it had hurt her.

"Naraku! Get away from her!" Kagura shouted. Unabashed, she stood up, holding her fan in a threatening manner. "That woman set me free, so I am indebted to her! Release her, now!" Nia turned and backed away from Naraku. She hugged the warm cloak around her body, but her expression was confused.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," she said. "_Why_ am I suddenly yours?"

"Come now, Nia. It's obvious we're soul mates."

"What?" came the incredulous exclamations from everyone else.

"Yes, I felt it. The lightning that course through my body when we kissed-" Another chorus of 'what' was ignored. "-was enough to make me realize it. It is a once in a lifetime experience that…"

At this point, Nia stopped listening. She couldn't believe what she had heard. If she had known that true love and electrical spark was something the people of Feudal Japan believed in, she would have never tried to get away using her power. Who knew Naraku was a helpless romantic underneath it all? _"This is probably not good at all,"_ she thought. Time was needed to sort through this and come up with a solution. Luckily, everyone was focused on Naraku's spouts of nonsense, most likely too shocked at his words to move. With a roll of her eyes, Nia dropped down, scooping up the clothes she had worn, and then slowly walked away from the hot spring. As she thought, no one followed her. They were too much in awe, and Naraku, apparently, liked to hear himself talk, so there was no way he was going to stop talking anytime soon.

She removed the baboon-like cloak, and then began to dress herself. How was she going to get out of this one? She hadn't meant for Naraku to become all… _soul mate_ on her. What about Kikyo? Naraku had always had wicked interests in the dead priestess. Had he just _forgotten_? Nia scoffed as she pulled down the shirt. What was _his_ problem? He couldn't be the same as Koga, right, using her as a substitution? _"What the hell?"_ she thought. _"Wouldn't Kagome be the better option since she looks like Kikyo?"_ She narrowed her eyes. This didn't make any sense.

The sounds of battle pulled her from her thoughts. Inuyasha must have unleashed his fury. For several minutes, Nia stood where she was, waiting for it to be over. She didn't have to wait long for the silence. "Finally," she muttered, walking back towards the hot spring. When she reached the group, she noticed that Naraku was gone, and the others were panting. They didn't seem hurt, though. Inuyasha yelled, clearly frustrated. He had said that it was only another puppet. Hm… Nia could have sworn he stopped using those. "So…" Her voice caught their attention. The group rounded on her, obviously upset. Kagura, though, moved to get dressed. "How'd it go?"

"Nia, I can't believe it!" Kagome shouted. "You made love to Naraku!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa…!" Nia's hands moved in and out several times to match the pace of her words. She crossed her arms. "I did _what_? With _who_?"

"Don't try to deny it!" Inuyasha yelled.

"That demon puppet told us before Inuyasha sliced its head off!" Sango seemed to be disgusted. She even shuddered. "How could you do something like that to our enemy?"

"Okay… no. I did not 'make love' to Naraku. I didn't even have sex with him!" Nia stated. _"God knows I wanted to!"_ she finished in thought. "Clearly, none of you know what making love is, so let me tell you. Making love is the sensation caused by the temptation when a guy sticks his location in a girl's destination to increase the population of the next generation. Do you get my explanation or do you need a demonstration? Inuyasha, I'm looking at you!" She finished by wiggling her eyebrows at the half-demon. The foreign woman received blank stares. And then they shouted her name in unison. "That's what they scream."

"Seriously, Nia, you can't do that with him!"

"I _didn't_ do it!" she retorted, crossing her arms. "You're going to believe Naraku over me?"

"In this situation… _kinda_!" Kagome said.

"Ouch, that hurts." A thoughtful looked appeared. "On second thought, touché!" The schoolgirl yanked on her hair, aggravated. "Look, obviously Naraku has lost it if he thinks we're soul mates." Nia rolled her eyes at the thought. "I mean, I didn't even _put it on him_."

"I don't even want to know what that means…" Inuyasha grimaced.

"It means-"

"Did you kiss him?" Sango interrupted. Her eyes narrowed. "You were _acting_, right?"

"_Totally_ acting," Nia lied with a nod of her head. "I didn't want to kiss him, but it was a part of the role and the plan to get outta there once I got Kagura's heart. Isn't that right, Kagura?" The group turned their eyes towards the wind witch. She raised an eyebrow, locking eyes with the foreign woman. A pointed stare was given moment and Nia also made a face, willing her to lie, too.

"Sure," Kagura finally said. "She planned it all before we reached Naraku's castle."

"I didn't know he would take it to heart," Nia finished with a shrug. "Now, can we drop it?" Dubious looks were given. She scoffed. "I keep forgetting how young you two girls really are."

"Don't look down on us because you're perverted!"

"I'm not perverted, though. I'm forward."

"Bullshit!" Inuyasha shouted.

Nia merely sighed.

"I can't believe Naraku's in love with you," Kagome wailed as she shook her head.

"I can't believe seducing him was all a part of your plan!" Sango added with a frown.

"I can't believe it's not butter!" There was a moment's pause before heads turned in Miroku's direction. The monk was biting into some bread. He noticed the stares and shrugged. "What? I can't."

"How did things turn out this way?" Nia questioned herself.

0-0

"Lord Sesshomaru, when are we going to visit Nia?" Rin asked. The demon lord almost sighed out. This was the tenth time Rin had asked that question in the past two weeks. He couldn't understand the girl's sudden recollection of the foreign woman. In the duration that the woman spent time in their company, she and Rin had developed a bond with one another. Numerous times, his ward had called the foreigner her older sister. She had been gravely disappointed when Sesshomaru had returned without the foreign woman behind him.

"You silly girl…!" Jaken squawked. "Your questions are annoying Lord Sesshomaru! He does not have time to visit that equally annoying foreign woman!"

"Oh…" Rin's brown eyes fell to the ground. "I just thought that it's been such a long time, so we could take-"

"You thought wrong you-"

"Jaken."

The small demon '_eeped_' and scurried behind Ah-Un. Still, Sesshomaru didn't shift his gaze from the path in front of him. Patrolling his lands to get rid of defiant demons had grown a bit wearisome. It would be awhile before he returned to his castle as well. However, he did not want to venture into that human village if he didn't need to. He could hardly believe that she managed to overtake that village and make it hers. Slowly his eyes closed. A few months back, he had gone to that village. His curiosity about the woman's plan of revenge could not be stifled as he first thought. Turns out, she had all but given up that plan in order to live there. At that time, a giant snake demon—still lower leveled—had attacked the village. That woman took care of it with ease. After that, Sesshomaru had never gone back. In fact, the foreign woman was almost completely erased from his mind.

"_I would not have to encounter her,"_ Sesshomaru reasoned in thought. _"I could send only Rin, and after a few days, I will return to pick her up." _The demon lord halted his steps, golden eyes looking up towards the sky. An image of that woman appeared, glaring down at him. Mentally, he smirked. The last time they had encountered one another, he had done great work in inducing her anger. Still, she had managed to control herself just fine. If they were to meet again, however, something told him that she would not even try to control herself.

_I'm going to be the woman that sends you to hell!_

"Is there something wrong, Lord Sesshomaru?" Rin asked.

"I've decided," he said. "We will see the results of her training."

"_Eh_? Really?" Rin sounded very excited. Jaken grumbled his protest. This was all ignored in favor of walking forward again. However, his direction had changed to head back in the north where he had left her. "I can't wait to see Nia again! I wonder if she'll remember me."

0-0

Nia was tired—physically and mentally exhausted. Not only were her feet sore, but her ears were ringing as well. Kagome was relentless in her ranting as Nia knew she would be. This is why she tried to hide it in the first place. She knew that the schoolgirl would blow everything out of proportion. The foreigner sighed heavily as Kagome continued to talk her ear off. Sometimes the others would chime in, giving their opinions on the matter. It wasn't helpful at all seeing as how they mostly agreed with Kagome. "And _another_ thing-"

The foreign woman stopped the girl's ranting by abruptly stopping. "That's it!" Nia put her hands in the head, fed up. "It has been a whole twenty-four hours plus six into the next day, and you're still talking, Kagome." She grabbed her forehead. "I had no idea you could talk _so_ much! I've had it!" Nia unceremoniously walked over to Kagome, grabbed her shoulders, and then delivered several small bolts into her system. Expectedly, the annoying schoolgirl convulsed before falling to the ground unconscious. Nia smacked her hands together as if she was wiping them off.

"Nia! How could you do that?" Inuyasha shouted.

"She was getting on my nerves!" she pointed a finger. "She lucky I didn't _kill_ her!" Nia placed a hand on her chest as she stepped over the body. She sighed, relieved that her ears weren't bleeding. "I guess she's never seen _Snapped_." Nia suddenly stopped and turned back around. The others were watching Inuyasha pick up Kagome. "She'll be alright, damn it! Let's go!" Scoffing, she turned back around, stomping off.

"Ne, Sango…" Kagura began, causing the demon slayer to turn her way. "I won the bet, so give it up."

"I thought she'd react sooner!" Sango scowled as handed over her eye shadow. "I can't believe she lasted so long."

"I can't believe you made a bet over Kagome's safety!" Inuyasha growled, slinging the unconscious girl over his shoulder.

"I still can't believe it's not butter!" Miroku chirped as he munched on his bread. Everyone turned to him, eyes wide.

"Where the hell are you getting all this toast?" Inuyasha hissed.

"Kagome's bag, of course. It's quite delicious."

"Shame," Shippo commented. "I'm still the most mature in this group."

0-0

When the group finally made it to the village, Kagome became conscious. Expectedly, she went off on a tangent complaining how wrong it was of Nia to do such a thing to her. Naturally, the foreign woman didn't want to hear her mouth, and so Kagome was shocked into unconsciousness again. Now this happened three or four more times before Inuyasha told her to knock it off, saying it was funny the second time, but that's it.

Now, the group was currently in Kaede's home, waiting for Kagome to become conscious again. Already, they had explained why Kagura was in their company. Of course the wind witch emphasized that it was only temporary. The old woman didn't seem to mind the new additions, and went to gather items for dinner. The sun was setting, after all. After about another fifteen minutes, Kagome woke, spring up with her eyes opened wide. A glare settled on Nia's laidback expression. "I can't believe you did that!" the schoolgirl screeched. She pointed an angry finger. "Without remorse you actually attacked me! Don't you know electrocution is a death penalty?"

"Kagome, honesty," Nia said. "Do I look like I care?" She suddenly smirked. "If Inuyasha hadn't told me not to do it again, I would have lit your ass up the moment you pointed that finger me." Kagome grimaced, her finger curling back in. "Now, I've been thinking, and although I don't want to talk about it, we need to talk about it."

"Talk about what?" Miroku asked.

"Naraku, of course."

One could hear a fly passing by in the silence that followed.

"What's there to talk about?" Inuyasha finally questioned. Nia crossed her arms.

"Use your brains, people," she said. "As crazy as it sounds, Naraku is probably in love with me. He even left that jewel shard in that puppet."

"That… _was_ strange," Sango admitted.

"That's the power of love, babe," Nia remarked. "Now let's think. What would killing Naraku actually accomplish?"

"What do you mean?" Inuyasha slammed a palm to his knee.

"You're clearly not thinking—next!" The foreign woman was growled at by the half-demon. However, she paid no mind and turned to the most logical person of the group. "Miroku, you like thinking. Tell me, what do you think killing Naraku would accomplish?"

"Well, of course with the things he has done, all of us can have closure with his death," he answered. Nia nodded her head. "My wind tunnel will disappear as well." His eyes narrowed. "Sango will be able to settle things, without interference, with her brother." The demon slayer looked surprised for a moment before her gaze drifted to the floor.

"_Ah_, very important points, Miroku," Nia said. "However, all those things came be overlooked."

"Huh…?" Kagome blinked.

"Before I explain what I mean, I'd like to clear things up because honestly I'm getting sick and tired of this screwing around the bush crap."

"I think you mean _beating_ around the bush," Kagome corrected. Nia stared at her for a moment, and then discharged lightning from her fingertips. The girl was out once again.

"Anyway!" Nia ignored Inuyasha's shout. "I want to get to the bottom of your conflict with Naraku. Inuyasha, why do you want to kill him? For Kikyo?" His head snapped in her direction, yet she kept her eyes on focused solely on him. "Or for the loss of the life you could have had with her?" Amber eyes glanced at Kagome. "Don't look at her. She's not even consciousness. Answer truthfully."

"Well…" He bit his lip, eyes on the ground. "Both…" His voice was barely above a whisper. "I have to kill Naraku for Kikyo's sake."

"Hm… So it's a grudge." Nonchalantly, she focused on Sango. "You want to kill him for revenge, right? For your family?" The demon slayer nodded her head. "And Miroku, you want to kill him for the sake of your future descendants?"

"Yes," he answered. "But how do you know all this?"

"Not important," Nia replied with a shrug. "And the only reason Lord Sesshomaru got involved is because Naraku got Rin involved." The foreign woman closed her eyes and sighed through her nose. "So we've got grudges and justice as motivations for killing Naraku." For several moments, she only sat there silent. The others had to wonder what exactly she was thinking about. Finally, she sucked in a breath and opened her eyes. "As far as satisfaction goes, all of you would be happy with his death?" Nods were given. "Well, what if the Wind Tunnel doesn't disappear after he's gone, Miroku? What if Naraku, on a whim, pulls the shard keeping Kohaku alive out before he dies, Sango? What if Naraku were to kill your second chance at happiness, Inuyasha? If he thinks that his end is near, there is no telling _what_ he would do just to have the last laugh."

Her questions weighed heavily on the hearts of those she spoke of. They all knew that Naraku was a spiteful bastard, and wouldn't hesitate to do those things. Miroku grasped his right arm, glaring at the floor. It was black magic that had survived for _generations_. In all honesty, he didn't know everything when it came to his curse. What if Nia was right? What if it didn't truly go away once the diabolical demon ceased to exist? Sango's fists clenched in her lap as she squeezed her eyes shut. Naraku was an evil demon. He wouldn't hesitate to do that just to see a reaction. He was twisted and vile and would remove the shard from her brother's back just to cause harm. Like Nia said, he could potentially do away with Kohaku at anytime. And there would be nothing she could do to prevent that. Inuyasha shifted his eyes over to Kagome. His second chance at happiness…? Just thinking about the annoying schoolgirl's death caused him to bare his fangs. He would never forgive that bastard if she were to die by his hand.

Nia watched their reactions closely. Clearly, they were hung up on her words. She hadn't just asked them randomly. No, this was something they needed to think about clearly. In reality, all of them were just kids, who didn't know any better. Although Miroku was older than her by a year and he was the most logical, he hadn't thought outside of the box either. "Luckily," her voice caught their attention again. "This can all be avoided." She smiled at their confused expression. "Love and happiness… Something that can make you do wrong, make you do right~!"

"What?" Inuyasha narrowed his eyes, confused.

"Simple… Naraku thinks we're soul mates because I shocked the shit outta him," Nia said. "Virtually, I can get him to do anything I want, including free Sango's brother, transforming the curse of the Wind Tunnel into a blessing, and other things as well, say give up his shards?"

"What makes you think Naraku would do that?" Inuyasha questioned.

"Trust me, Inuyasha. It doesn't matter if it's a man or a woman, when a person is in love, that love is all they will think about, dream about, make decisions about," she said. "I've observed this time and time again." Nia suddenly stood. "Think about it," she suggested. "With just a conversation, I can put an end to it all." Without another word, the foreign woman left the group behind. She only glanced back at Kaede's home once before walking away. She locked her hands behind her back as moved. Her hazel eyes stared up at the darkening sky.

As much of a fan of _Inuyasha_ as she was, it was starting to get tedious with all this none action happenings. With this new development, maybe the plot could finally wrap up. In fact, maybe this was the reason she was sent here. Nia rolled her eyes. She was hoping this was the reason, but she didn't know for sure, so there would always be doubts plaguing her mind. Sighing, her eyes looked down. What if she was stuck here? In the games, once everything was wrapped up, the new character would return home. Kururugi and that foreign exchange student both went back to where they had come from because they were no longer needed.

A twig snapped, causing Nia to flinch. She blinked, taking in her surroundings. She had subconsciously wandered into the forest. Turning her head, she realized that Kagura had followed her. The woman blinked. Nia completely turned to face her. "What's up?" she asked.

"Your heart… Do you realize how empty it is?" Kagura asked, closed fan tapping her lips. After her question, only the sound of a passing wind was heard. Nia chuckled.

"Well, now I do—thanks," she muttered.

"Nia…"

"I find it so easy to act and take on different roles _because_ of love," she confessed. "It's easy to manipulate those who love. Love will make you happy, yet it will so make you miserable." She chuckled again while closing her eyes. "When I was younger I saw my mother cry, and curse at the wind." Nia scoffed. "She broke her own heart and I watched as she tried to resemble it. And my mother swore that she would never let herself forget." Her eyes opened again. "And that was the day that I promised I'd never speak of love if it does not exist."

"I see," Kagura replied. She frowned. "Why do I get the feeling you're singing to me?"

"_Teehee_! You're right!" Nia grinned. Kagura rolled her eyes. "Really, that's just how I am. I didn't know that I came off heartless. Blunt and indifferent, maybe?"

"Hm…" she nodded. Kagura looked as though she might say something else, but her eyes turned in another direction. "Demons…" she said.

"How many? Coming towards the village?"

"There are several of them. And their target seems to be us."

"That… probably isn't good." Nia blinked several times. She stood besides Kagura. Not a minute later, the demons showed themselves. "Oh hell…"

"Nia," the one in the front greeted.

"Koga," she bit out.

"And _friends_," Kagura's eyes were focused behind the leader of the wolf pack. Her right eyebrow shot up, recognizing—actually, caring about—one of them. Nia heard her comment and bent sideways to see past Koga. Behind him were Ginta, Hakakku, and Ayame. She blanched in surprise. She was definitely not expecting her! Wasn't she a filler character? And what was up with Kagura? Was that a blush? Nia looked again, following the wind demon's line of sight. Ginta was the one she was looking at.

"_Isn't this just peachy?"_ she sarcastically thought. _"Could this get any worse?"_ Ayame took this opportunity to speak.

"Is this your new woman, Koga?" she asked. Her green eyes blinked several times. "Why do you always pick the strange ones?" Nia frowned, and then turned her eyes upward.

"_You think this is funny, don't you, mom?"_


	11. Chapter 10

"Koga…!" Nia raised her voice. "Do you want me to prevent you from having children?" The wolf demon almost backed up. He then had the nerve to ask her why she had become _upset_. "Why am I upset…? WHY AM I UPSET?" She pointed a finger over to the red head female demon. "You have, yet again, told someone that I'm your woman, when _clearly_ I have already _rejected_ you!" Koga merely brushed aside her statement, saying that they got pass that hill in their relationship. Kagura placed a hand on Nia's shoulder before she could give couple a few doses of her mutant power. The foreigner took a few breaths to calm herself. She couldn't understand how Koga managed to rile her up within _moments_ of meeting. "Okay, okay…" She deeply exhaled once more. "Koga, don't _make_ you hurt you." Nia wore a pleasant smile. "We have already established that I will not become your woman, especially since you're as experienced as _Shippo_. So do not go out and tell your wolf buddies that we're in a mutual relationship. Okay? Okay."

"Hey, don't talk down to Koga like that!" Ayame blurted. Her eyebrows knitted together. Obviously she was upset with the way this conversation had gone and she couldn't take it anymore. "He is the great leader of us wolf demons! A human like you should show some respect!" Nia stared at her for a good minute. Ayame—she remembered her clearly. The female wolf demon had shown up, out of the blue, saying that Koga promised to join her in holy matrimony. However, that relationship went, and probably _wouldn't_ go, nowhere. If she remembered correctly, when the promise was given, Ayame looked to be a young child, while Koga seemed to be in his teen years. Even if Koga had remembered, he still wouldn't go through with it seeing as though it was considered a mistake in his youth. He probably thought she would not have taken it seriously.

Nia almost rolled her eyes. _"Wolf demons,"_ she thought. Hardheadedness seemed to go hand in hand. The foreigner gave a hard stare to Ayame. "Look, little girl-" Nia began, even though Ayame was probably more than three times her age. "-You don't know nothing about me, so don't step to me. Back up before you get _smacked_ up. Got it?" It was uncomfortably silent after she was finished. And then Koga moved closer to her.

"Wait, Nia! It's not like that!" he said. "She's not challenging you."

"_Hmph_…" Nia turned her head away. "I'm just saying that she doesn't know me. I could turn into my stereotype right now and set it off!"

"My pack has increased recently because of Ayame, so I wanted to introduce you," Koga explained.

"What? Wait… How is she contributing to the increase of your pack?"

"Because I mated with Hakakku!" Ayame stated with a sneer. "Because of our union, my pack has joined his." Clearly the female demon did not like Nia. "Since I-"

"Yeah, shut up," Nia interrupted. She could sense that Ayame didn't like her, and she wasn't about to be polite to a person who wouldn't show her not an ounce of respect. Although news of her getting together with the Mohawk wearing demon was a surprise, Ayame's attitude made her not want to know how that happened. Her hazel eyes turned back to Koga. Was he being serious? Wanting to introduce them to her…? Nia clicked her tongue. "Koga." He focused entirely on her. "Why are you doing this?" she questioned. For a moment, there was complete silence. The spectators narrowed their eyes, wondering what the foreign woman meant. Then the wolf demon leader spoke.

"I plan to settle everything," he replied. Nia's eyebrows furrowed. "_Everything_."

"Why? Why now?"

"Because, Nia, I'm serious." Koga's eyes averted for a moment. "What you said last time made me think about everything I've done up till now. You are right, and so I'm settling the things of the past… for you." Nia clicked her tongue again.

"Serious, huh?" She almost scoffed. She placed her hands on her hips and sigh heavily. Finally, she returned her hazel eyes to the wolf demon. "Kiss me."

"_Eh_…?" His voice squeaked. The others seemed just as shocked as he was. Annoyed, Nia repeated her demand. "H-H-Here? In front of everyone?"

"Is that a problem?" Nia's eyebrow rose. Koga's cheeks glowed bright pink. "Kiss. Me. Right. _Now_!" Of course, the wolf demons were staring, absolutely astonished. Kagura, used to this behavior, merely rolled her eyes. The leader of the pack slowly reached out, grabbing the foreigner's shoulders. He swallowed hard as he pulled her closer to his body. Nia blinked, waiting for her kiss. She dropped her arms to her sides. Then she closed her eyes and slowly poked out her lips. Koga's eyes widen slightly, and then he leaned down... only to kiss her cheek. Nia's eyes fluttered open, and then they narrowed into a glare. She scoffed and turned her head away. "I knew it," she said. "That was the first time you've kissed someone, _wasn't_ it?" She turned her back to him, crossing her arms. "That whole mating for life thing…" Rolling her eyes, she glanced back at the clearly embarrassed Koga. "Like I said before, I can't become your woman. I will not be satisfied with a virgin like you. I'll go get my kisses somewhere else!" And with those words, Nia began to walk back towards the village.

"That's _it_!" Ayame's shout caused her to stop. Not to mention, when the female wolf demon slammed her fist to the ground, a minor quake happened. The red head glared at Nia, ignoring the efforts of her mate to calm her down. "Not only are you disrespectful to Koga, but you're also a perverse woman and an adulterer!" She pointed a finger. "I _refuse_ to acknowledge such a woman as Koga's mate! And I _definitely_ will not see you as his new love interest either! You must be extorting him with something, right? And you're doing this to make a fool outta him!" Nia regarded her with a cool expression as she ranted. However, when she was done, the foreign woman's lip twitched into a snarl.

"Do not accuse me of anything, especially when you do not know the situation," Nia nearly yelled. "What I do and say to Koga is _our_ business, _not_ yours or anyone else's. I don't care if you're a new addition to his pack, you will not talk to me like that because I won't stand for _another childish brat_!"

"Hey, she is my-" Hakakku began.

"_Shut up_!" Nia growled. Immediately the demon flinched away. Did her eyes turn completely white for a second? The foreign woman clenched her teeth, returning the glare to Ayame. The wolf demon involuntarily took a step back. "I can't do this anymore. I'm out." She turned and nearly stomped away. After a moment, Kagura followed after her, leaving the three wolf demons by themselves. Ayame finally let out several indignant huffs.

"I can't believe her!" she exclaimed. "Who does she think she is?" Green eyes settled on Koga, who had been unnaturally quiet. "Why, Koga? Why? Out of all the women you could have chosen, why did it have to be _her_?"

"Because she's exactly what I need," he answered.

"Eh?"

Koga turned narrowed eyes in Ayame's direction. "Nia may have strange methods, but everything she says is the truth. I need that honesty. I'm attracted to her. Everything about her is what I need. And now… She's what I want." His newest member looked as though she wanted to say something else. "Don't talk about her like that again. She may have been rude to you, but she was right. You are a childish brat, Ayame. Kagome is a childish brat. What I need, what I want—is a mature woman fit to become my mate."

"Ko-Koga…" Ayame choked out. She pressed her lips into a thin line. "All this time—you thought that way of me?"

"Yes."

"And Kagome…?"

"… I've realized that recently," Koga admitted. "Anyway, Nia is the one I intend to become my woman, and this time, I won't give up." He turned his eyes to the night sky. "I just have to… grow up, so she'll accept me."

Ayame bit her thumbnail and glared down at the ground. _"I won't accept this!"_ she thought. _"Koga's making a mistake! This isn't the right one! She'll be the downfall to our pack! I can't let that happen!"_ The red head demon began to devise a plan. Although it seemed as though this Nia wouldn't accept Koga's feelings, Ayame didn't want to take any chances. _"I'm doing this for you, Koga… You'll thank me one day!"_

0-0

Nia tapped her temples several times. She was still very heated about that confrontation. Pacing back and forth, she ignored Kagura in favor of trying to calm her heart and relax her muscles. She couldn't understand why, nearly five minutes later, she was still thinking of ways to murder Ayame. Usually, she could control her emotions quite well. Her uncle hadn't drilled lessons into her head for nothing. For the sake of her acting career, what she should feel was kept under wraps. However, it was taking too long to control her anger. Why…? _"Oh shit,"_ she thought when it finally came to her. The woman stopped pacing. Nia sighed heavily.

There was only one time that she couldn't control her emotions well. The reason came once every month. _"Already…?"_ she thought. She counted on her fingers. Sighing miserably, she realized that, yeah, it was that time. "_Argh_…! _Mother Nature_ can eat a big one!" Kagura called out to her. "_Huh_?"

"Perhaps I'm over thinking this, but maybe you're being a little too hard on Koga." The wind witch decided to ignore the way the foreign woman replied to her. "He is sincere in his pursuit of you."

"… I know," Nia muttered, looking down. "I know he is now. When he kissed me—that's when I knew how serious he really is." She sighed. "If he had any doubts, even a little bit, he would have gone for my lips. However passionate or chaste it might have been, aiming for my lips would be a sign that on some level he did not feel strongly about me. But since he kissed my cheek-" Frowning, Nia closed her eyes. "-I can tell he's completely chosen me."

"And… You don't want that?"

"No! God, no! I'm the type of woman that… guys _shouldn't_ fall for!" Nia shook her head and opened her eyes again. "Naraku was a lucky sumbitch because I can care less what happens with him. He's an evil bastard, but… Koga's innocent… and a virgin." She sighed again. "I'm not the woman for him. He's not the man for me."

"Ah, pity that," Kagura commented. "Now about Koga's friend—Ginta, I believe it was."

"Really, Kagura? You think Ginta's cute?"

"… Yes. So?"

"Whoa. I would have never thought that a guy like that would be your type." She then grinned as a thought occurred. "Then again… You don't seem like the type to be the submissive one in a relationship. You know he's a virgin, too, right?" Nia asked. The demon merely smirked.

"That's good news for me then," she said. "I could mold him into a man that can satisfy me and _only_ me." Nia's eyebrows shot up, causing Kagura to chuckle. "Don't tell me this is the first time you've thought about this. Virgins are the best because they're a blank slate. Surely the first time will be awkward, and maybe the next time, but soon enough, they will be trained to do exactly what it is that has the highest pleasure rate." Nia smirked.

"_Hohoho_! What's this? Kagura, are you an experienced woman, too?" she asked.

"No," Kagura confessed. "Until recently, I have only focused on my freedom, but that doesn't mean I haven't thought about the touch of a man."

"Oh my God!" Nia laughed out. "You're a _perverted virgin_! _Haah_, I remember those days. You're going to be really happy when you finally get some, Kagura."

"That's what I hope for… and with Ginta, too." The two women shared a laugh. A few miles away, the wolf demon in question shivered and sneezed. "Now that you've calmed down, we should head back. They've probably come to a decision about Naraku."

"Yeah, let's go."

When the two reached Kaede's home, the smell of food drifted into their noses. Nia sighed blissfully as she headed towards the door. Something warm was bound to make her feel great. "I'm back!" she announced. She and Kagura entered the home of the old woman. To her slight joy, Kagome still hadn't awoken from her unconscious state. She must have shocked her a bit too much. Oh well—wasn't like she was dead, or something, right? Kaede was kind enough to fix her a bowl of delicious smelling soup. Kagura, though, didn't want to eat. "Thanks for the food!" The foreign woman happily began eating despite the ominous looks of her friends. As she thought, the warm liquid did make her feel loads better. She was about to ask for another bowl when Sango finally spoke up.

"Nia… About what you said…" she began.

"Yes…?"

"After much consideration, we have reached a decision," Miroku continued. He bowed his head. "We realize how dangerous this is and what it could cost you… Still, you have made us realize there are different ways to get to the same destination. So please…" The monk lowered his eyelids. "With your abilities, we ask that you assist us with Naraku."

"Please!" Sango also bowed her head. Inuyasha's eyes remained on the floor, his arms crossed.

"Yes, yes."

"That was fast," Inuyasha said with a flat expression.

"Well, I'm the one who suggested it," Nia replied. "It'd be hypocritical if I were to back down now." She smirked in thought. _"Besides, this is my chance to finally sex someone up! Kekekeke! I can hardly wait!"_ She clapped her hands. "Now that that's taken care of, I want to try the well tomorrow morning."

"The well…?" Sango repeated. "Why?"

"To see if it works." Nia answered. "If so, I plan on spending an entire week there."

"What?"

"Trust me, I'm a whole lot of fury that you guys cannot handle during the following week."

"_Ah_…" Sango nodded in understanding. However, the males of the group still seemed perplexed. "During this period, you must not be able to control yourself?" Nia nodded her head gravely.

"You should've seen what I did to Jaken for the six months I was traveling with Lord Sesshomaru." She shook her head as if feeling guilty. She wasn't. "The poor guy couldn't open his eyes for days." Nia noticed that Inuyasha was about to question her. "_Ah, ah, ah_!" She wagged a finger. "You said you wouldn't inquire what happened during the time we spent apart."

"_Feh_! Like I care!"

0-0

Sesshomaru halted in his walk and narrowed his eyes. His head turned in the direction that the wind blew. "Lord Sesshomaru…?" Rin said after a moment of no moving on his part.

"She has returned to my brother's group," Sesshomaru said, mostly to himself. Then the demon resumed walking, but in a different direction. His companions had no choice but to follow. This trip was taking longer than necessary. If she had stayed in the village, they would have reunited in a few short hours. Now, however, since the foreign woman had gone back to Inuyasha, the trip would take more than a few days. Sesshomaru almost considered returning to his patrol. Rin was looking forward to meeting 'big sister' again after so long. He had already said that he would allow them to meet again. She would be gravely disappointed if she could not see the foreigner.

"When are we going to arrive, Lord Sesshomaru?" Rin asked.

"Another few days."

"Oh…" Already she sounded disappointed. Briefly, the demon lord closed his eyes. "I see."

"Rin, don't question him!" Jaken waved his staff. The little girl only stuck out her tongue from the safety of Ah-Un's back. "But may I ask, Lord Sesshomaru, why are you so insistent on meeting that horrid woman again?" Golden eyes cut to the smaller demon, causing Jaken to squawk and scurry back. He still must have been irritated with that woman's actions towards him whilst she was on her monthly occurrence.

"I can't wait to see Nia again!" Rin smiled brightly.

"Jaken, when we reach the village, take Rin and Ah-Un to Inuyasha," Sesshomaru ordered. "I expect even you to sniff him out from such a short distance."

"I understand, my lord."

0-0

It was the next morning on the outskirts of Kaede's village. Kagome and Nia were preparing to leave via time portal. Inuyasha stood there, annoyed with his arms crossed. He didn't like the idea of Kagome being gone for an entire week just because she needed a 'vacation' of all things. Expectedly, he wore his usually scowl. "Calm down, Inuyasha. It's just a week. Besides, I'll be able to get some much needed studying done." Kagome sat on the edge of the well. Nia sat on the opposite side of her, looking quite bored. The others had decided it was too early to say their goodbyes. Really, it was too early. If it had been up to her, they wouldn't have gone until the sun was at its peak. But no, this was Kagome's little revenge against Nia. Some people just couldn't forgive and forget! It's not like she ended up dying! She was only unconscious for a little bit.

Nia yawned loudly, but she was ignored. "Whatever, if I get tired of waiting, I'm coming back to get you!" Kagome smiled, and then waved. She turned to Nia and held out her hand. With a sigh, the foreign woman intertwined her fingers with the schoolgirl's. On three, the two females jumped in. To Nia's fascination, she didn't hit the ground. She and Kagome were surrounded by a void of blue, purple, and black colors. She almost couldn't believe it worked for her. Then again, Inuyasha could come and go as he pleased. And if the others attempted to go down the well, she couldn't remember that episode. Within a few seconds, her knees fell to solid ground. She blinked several times, still feeling light on her feet.

"Let's go, Nia," Kagome had already stood and was now climbing the convenient ladder. The foreign woman nodded her head, and then followed her up. "Don't look up my skirt!"

"Oh please, Kagome! Last time I checked, you didn't have a penis, so I definitely wouldn't do that," Nia retorted. Kagome's eyebrow twitched. It had just been a joke, a mistake on her part. A pink tint settled on her cheeks.

"That reminds me," Kagome began as she glanced back. Nia had just pulled herself from the well. "You can't, under any circumstance, act the way you normally do around my family! And no powers, _either_!" The foreign woman blinked twice, and then grinned.

"Why, Kagome, I would _never_ behave like myself the first time I meet someone. Remember how I eased you guys into it?" she asked. The schoolgirl gave a sour look.

"People shouldn't have to _ease_ into a personality," she remarked. Nia only shrugged and gestured for Kagome to lead the way. "Okay, let me do the talking first, and then once they're used to your presence, then you can talk." Eyebrows furrowed as the foreigner stared.

"Okay," she finally said. "Just a fair warning, I'm _probably not_ going to follow that." Kagome sighed heavily as she climbed the stairs. Typical Nia—she should have known the older female wouldn't follow orders. The schoolgirl briefly wondered how Sesshomaru put up with her for six months. Then again, Nia was incredibly smart. If she could convince Naraku that he was in love, then surely she could get out of a life or death situation with Sesshomaru.

The two headed towards the door. After a few knocks, Kagome's little brother, Souta opened the door. He smiled and greeted his older sister. Then he noticed the foreigner standing behind her, wearing his sister's school uniform. "Who is…?"

"This is my friend. She came from the well," Kagome explained, moving past her younger brother. She set her yellow bag down and removed her shoes. "We're going to stay here for a bit."

"The well?" Souta exclaimed. Nia grinned and waved.

"Please take care of me," she said as she, too, walked past him. As she did, she patted his head. Little kids were so cute, after all. Ignoring Souta's exclamation, Kagome asked where their mother was. The younger Higurashi stated that she had just returned from the store and should be in the kitchen. Nia followed Kagome into the kitchen. She was greeted by the sight of her mother putting away groceries.

"Mom, I'm back!" Kagome announced. The older woman turned around and smiled. She then noticed Nia. "Mom, this is Nia. Her story's complicated, but she came from the well. She missed the technology, so can she stay for awhile?"

"_Hm_…?" The mother, if Nia remembered right, was called Nodoka. As a die-hard fan, she knew even the tiniest detail of minor characters. Nodoka blinked once, and then she smiled. "Of course she can stay. Can you speak Japanese?" Nia bowed politely, giving an affirmative answer. "That's a relief. I don't understand too much English."

"_Haha_, thanks, Mrs. Higurashi!" Nia replied.

"Where's Grandpa?" Kagome asked.

"A checkup. He should be back later," Nodoka replied.

"Mom, could me and Nia go to the store. We're running low on supplies." The schoolgirl linked arms with Nia. "I promise I'll explain her presence over dinner!"

"Of course, of course."

"We're leaving right now—bye!"

Kagome proceeded to drag Nia out of the house again after grabbing the credit card from Nodoka. Clearly, she was excited with the concept of shopping. The foreign woman opened her mouth to speak. "It's no wonder," she said. Kagome looked back at her with questioning eyes. "You're childish because your mom spoils you and lets you do whatever you want." Because of her statement, she was glared at. "What? It's true. Don't get offended. It's just a difference in culture."

"Yeah, yeah." Kagome suddenly stopped walking down the steps. She blinked, and then turned around, staring at Nia from head to toe. The woman raised a brow. "You're not wearing shoes."

"Look who's a genius," Nia replied.

"I'm going back to get you a pair of sandals—wait here," Kagome instructed. The schoolgirl went back up the stone steps, leaving Nia on her own. Five minutes later, she returned, holding a pair of simple black sandals. "I've never gotten a chance to wear them." She handed them off. Nia examined them a moment before dropping them. Surely, she couldn't have the same size feet as Kagome, right? To her surprise, the sandals fit. "I haven't been shopping in awhile I'm excited! Let's go!"

0-0

Kagome hadn't been lying when she said she was excited. She and Nia had been hopping from store to store for the past several _hours_. They had only needed a few items, but Kagome had gone crazy with _bargains_ and _discounts_. Sure she had gotten things cheap, but surely they didn't need this much crap! Who was going to carry all of this all the way back home? Nia sighed miserably. She was now waiting for Kagome to return from _another_ store in the mall's food court. Not that she despised shopping herself, though. She, herself, had gotten many outfits—mostly shorts, tank tops, skirts, and sundresses. Shoes weren't really important. When Kagome commented on her choice in wardrobe, saying that she believed Nia to be a tomboy, the foreign woman merely replied 'Easier access.' It took a minute for Kagome to understand, and when she did Nia got a firm talking to. If they hadn't been in public, she _would have_ electrocuted her.

So here she sat, sipping iced water from a straw, waiting for her host to come back to her. Nia gripped the big plastic cup with both hands, glaring at anyone who had passed her. "This stinks," she muttered around the straw. She had bitten the top of the straw until it had become flat, barely able to produce water. All she really wanted to do is sleep the week away, like she normally did when the time came. Even Sesshomaru had given her some space during the six month period that she was with him when it was this time.

She closed her eyes for a moment. Speaking of the demon lord, she was really missing his ward. Such a cute little girl deserved to be hugged and kissed profusely. _"That reminds me—I should buy some lip gloss. Haven't had it in awhile." _Nia licked her lips. She had a habit of biting and tearing the skin from her lips whenever it was that time of the month. Already, her lips had become rough and deformed and the blood hadn't even come yet. One of the reasons she had wanted to stay in the future was because of these non-kissable lips. How was she supposed to seduce Naraku, or any other unsuspecting guy, when she didn't feel confident about herself? So it was best to stay here until it was all over.

"Excuse me," a voice called. It sounded close by—right in front of the table she was sitting at. Slowly, Nia opened her eyes, noticing she was staring at someone's crotch. Definitely male. Hazel eyes traveled up, stopping on his face. "I couldn't help but to notice you wearing my school's uniform."

"Hojo," Nia blinked in surprise. This was unexpected. It must have not been a school day because he was not sporting his uniform. He seemed to be surprised that she knew of him. "_Ah_—Kagome told me about you."

"You know Higurashi?" he questioned. "Who are you? I didn't think there was a foreign in our school." Most people wouldn't approach a foreign person, assuming they wouldn't know the language. Nia mentally applauded his bravery… or was it foolish friendliness?

"My name is Nia Dodson. I am not a foreign exchange student at your school, though. I am a friend of Kagome's, and I'm currently staying at her house."

"Ah, I see," Hojo replied. He looked around. "Is Higurashi showing you around?"

"Yes, she is actually," Nia said. "I'm waiting for her to come back for me. She saw something really cute apparently and just _had_ to check it out." Hojo chuckled. Then he asked why she was wearing the uniform. "I wanted to try it on," came the simple answer. She didn't think telling him her original clothes were torn due to two demons. That would have been bad, and surely Kagome would scold her again. Come to think of it, Nia was getting tired of that. She was approaching twenty, and the schoolgirl was only sixteen, maybe seventeen. Shouldn't she show some respect to those older than her? "So anyway, I'll tell Kagome you said hi."

"Well, I kinda want to talk to Kagome about something, so can't I wait here with you for her return?" Hojo asked.

"No." Her instant reply caused the schoolboy to look disappointed. "We're having girl time right now, so no boys allow. Talk to her when you see her at school." Hojo appeared as though he wanted to say something else. However, he shrugged his shoulders and smiled.

"Alright then," he said. "It was a pleasure talking to you, Miss Nia." Her name sounded heavily accented on his tongue, which caused the foreign woman to glower. Luckily, the boy didn't notice because he had turned around.

Minutes later, Kagome finally returned looking quite satisfied with herself. "Sorry about the wait. I saw some shampoo afterward I bought that cute jacket." She had several more bags. "And then I spotted some other stuff, too." Nia only shook her head, standing up.

"Can we just go?" she frowned. "I'm tired as hell."

0-0

I'd like to thank **Yokuraromaru** and **Psychotic Rose** for their wonderful comments on the last chapter. I smiled a lot as I read those two reviews, so please keep them coming. :D


	12. Chapter 11

Kagome was worried. It had been nearly four days since she and Nia left the Feudal Era. Originally, she was relieved—happy even. Her foreign friend had not been behaving the way she would normally. Most of the time, she would stare out of the window, completely silent, letting the wind play with her long braids. She had braided her hair the day after they had come to this time. It had taken her an entire day, too. At other times, Nia could be found sleeping, curled up in the most unusual of places. Like the middle of the floor, on the staircase, on the kitchen table, and on the washing machine. Once, she was even found under Kagome's bed. Nia's sleeping habits were strange, but that isn't what had her worried.

It was the fact that whenever Nia did speak, she would only say one thing. '_Haah_… I really want to get laid.' For those who knew her, that was probably a normal thing she would say. However, the action that followed that sentence is what had the schoolgirl worried. Nia would, after saying that, glanced in Kagome's direction with an unreadable expression. It was _worrisome_. Every time it would happen, Kagome would become petrified, wondering if rape was oncoming. Of course it never happened, but that didn't stop the schoolgirl from freaking out about it. They still had about three more days before both of them returned to the Feudal Era, and even less time before Inuyasha got fed up and dragged them back.

She had waited long enough. It was time to question her houseguest's behavior. It was starting to affect her sleep, after all. So here she sat, at her desk, trying to study. Keyword being trying. Was it just her or did she feel Nia's eyes on her. Clearing her throat, Kagome finally swiveled around in her chair. Despite feeling her gaze, Nia's eyes were out of the window, appearing bored. She blinked once, watching the orange sky fade into deep blue. "_Uh_… Nia…?" Kagome got her attention. The foreign grunted, signaling that she had heard. "I think we should talk." Finally, hazel eyes turned her way. "You've been acting a bit weird lately. I'm starting to worry about my safety." An eyebrow rose. "What I mean is..." How should she put it? "I have no intention to be raped by you!" Okay—that came out totally wrong. Kagome's cheeks took on a pink hue. Nia blinked. Extremely embarrassed, Kagome's eyes settled on the floor. "I-I-I don't mean to so-sound ru-rude or anything, but-"

Before Kagome could finish, the sound of laughter interrupted. It wasn't giggles or chuckles either. It was like Nia had been holding in this laugh for quite some time. It seemed to explode from her mouth. From the chair she sat in, her legs were in the air, swaying back and forth as she held her stomach. With her left hand, she pointed a finger at the confused schoolgirl. Kagome frowned, not finding anything funny. After awhile, Nia's obnoxious laughter finally subsided. "Y-You thought… You were thinking I wanted to _do_ you?" She slapped her exposed thigh several times—as she did have shorts on—and wiped under her right eye. "_HA_! Even if I _were_ into that, you're _definitely_ not the type I'd go for! I'd go for Sango way before I would even _think_ of you!" Kagome crossed her arms and pouted, feeling as though she had been insulted.

"What am I supposed to think?" she muttered. "You keep giving me a weird look right after you mention you want sex!" Nia blinked again, and then grinned.

"This may come as a shock to you, Kagome, but during this time of the month, I tend to turn into quite the… perverse woman."

"_When _aren't_ you a perverse woman?"_ The schoolgirl produced a flat look. Nia went on as if she didn't see the expression on her roommate's face.

"All I can think about is sex, sex, sex! None stop! All the time! Even in my dreams, I can't escape the thought of sexual intercourse!" She sighed heavily as though she pitied herself. "What should I do? Last night's dream was the worst!" Clasping her hands together, she closed her eyes. "I dreamt that I went back to the past, and went to Kaede's place. And what did I see? Inuyasha and Miroku, going at it… like bunnies!"

"WHAT?"

"Yes, yes… They stopped once they realized that they had an audience, and then politely told me to break the news to you. When I asked about Sango, they said she already knew about it, and in response went and got married to _Lord Sesshomaru_!" Nia grabbed her head, wiggling back and forth in her chair. "Not that I don't mind that development, after all their children would be oh so cute, but it happened so soon! Shocked, I stumbled into the forest, trying to figure out how those two came to like each other. And that's when Koga, Naraku, and Hojo found me!" The foreigner's cheeks flushed as a perverted grin stretched on her face. "That was great… Did you know that all three of those guys were _blessed_? All of the holes were-"

"_Waaaah_! I don't wanna hear anymore!" Kagome screamed, shaking her head to and fro. Nia only laughed. "How do you even know Hojo?"

"When we went shopping I had a conversation with him," she answered. "Which leads me to why I told you all this in the first place."

"_I definitely didn't need to hear about Miroku and Inuyasha together,"_ Kagome thought sourly.

"That guy, Hojo, you're not romantically interested in him, are you?" Nia questioned. Slowly, the younger female shook her head. "Good—the next time I see him, I'm probably going to rock his world."

"WHAT?"

"You said you didn't-"

"THAT'S NOT THE POINT!" Kagome shouted. Nia sighed. "You can't just go around wanting to screw every guy that moves!"

"I can't help it! That's what I desire most when-"

Kagome slammed her fist down on her desk. "You will not, under any circumstance, have sex with Hojo or anyone in the present for that matter! You have bigger problems in the past, anyway!" At her dazed expression, Kagome nearly growled. "I'm talking about Koga and Naraku!"

"Oh… _them_." Nia rolled her eyes.

"Inuyasha told me what you plan to do with Naraku, and although I don't want to accept it, I admit that a change in tactics is probably a good idea at this point," Kagome said. "But what's going to happen if Koga catches wind of this? Don't you realize how heartbroken he will be? He really likes you, Nia!"

"Shut up, brat." Kagome's eyes expanded. She was stunned that Nia had suddenly turned so seriously. Her hazel eyes glared down at the floor. "People, who don't realize they're causing pain themselves, shouldn't be talking about broken hearts."

"I… I don't know what you mean," she admitted.

"Koga… was in love you, and you broke his heart." Kagome actually gasped and placed her fingertips against her lips. "Yes. He was so shaken up about it that he decided to use me as a replacement. His feelings probably wouldn't have happened had it not been for your indecisive nature."

"So… What you're saying is that… it's my fault?"

"It is indeed your fault I'm in this predicament," Nia answered with a nod. "So don't talk to me about breaking his heart. That has already taken place." A silence fell between the two. Then Kagome returned to her studies. Nia returned to staring outside again. Night had finally fallen. "It's time to start growing up, Kagome." Her word of advice caused the schoolgirl to tense. "If you keep running away from your problems, you're bound to end up… nowhere." Kagome didn't respond.

Still, the lead from her mechanical pencil snapped from the sudden increase in pressure.

0-0

Nia yawned loudly, without bothering to cover her mouth, and then rubbed her eyes. "Remind me again why we're going back this early," she murmured. "I've still got a day left, you know."

"Because I'm worried! It isn't like Inuyasha to not come get me earlier than what I told him," Kagome answered. "Besides, you packed everything you needed anyway." Without warning, she grabbed Nia's hand and jumped into the well. Ignoring the string of curses from the foreigner, Kagome slowly stood. She looked up. The sky was bright blue and birds were chirping. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. With several grunts, Kagome pulled herself out of the well with help from the vines. Nia followed after her, grabbing her hand for support.

The two began to walk in the direction of the village. Three minutes later, Kagome stopped. "What now?" Nia asked. She rolled her eyes at the girl's answer. Apparently she found it super weird that Inuyasha hadn't come to meet them. "Maybe he's busy? You know, making out with Miroku takes time."

"That's not funny!"

"I think it's quite hilarious, actually!" Before Kagome could take a swipe at her, Nia took off. The schoolgirl had gotten rather sensitive about the InuMir pairing. Honestly, Nia believed the real reason they had come back was because of what she had told Kagome. She probably wanted to 'make sure' things were normal… in the sense that everyone was straight, that is. Nia heard Kagome call out to her, but she ignored that. It was only a second later that she wished she could have listened. Her forehead slammed into something extremely hard. "Ouch!" With a groan, she looked up. A gasp escaped her lips. "Lord Sesshomaru…!"

"Woman," he greeted with a narrowing of his eyes. Hastily Nia stood, nearly snarling.

"You actually show your face to me? **No way is that gonna fly, bitch**!" She extended her left arm in the air. "Jupiter Power, yo!" In the palm of her hand there formed a thunderbolt. "Six months of training, my _ass_!" She hurled it at the demon lord as if it were a baseball. The demon convulsed wildly for several seconds until he fell forward, unconscious. Finally, Kagome appeared by Nia's side. The woman narrowed her eyes as her most hated demon began transforming. "_Huh_. It was only Naraku." She scratched her head. "Why the hell did he change into Lord Sesshomaru?" Kagome linked arms with her, urging to leave and ask questions later when Inuyasha was around. Frowning, Nia shrugged. The two stepped over Naraku's sizzling body and dashed towards the village.

When they reached Kaede's hut, Inuyasha came out. "Kagome…? I thought I smelled you guys. Why are you back so early?" he asked.

"We just saw Naraku!" Kagome didn't bother to answer.

"Oh, he's still lurking?" Inuyasha's uncaring attitude caused the schoolgirl to blink in confusion. "That guy came here a few days back, wanting to take Nia away." Golden eyes rolled. "I thought he had left. If he's still here then-" A blur moved passed him and tackled Nia to the ground.

"Nia!" The excited voice of a child squeal as arms hugged the foreigner tighter. "You're back!" Chuckling, the foreigner patted the young girl's back.

"Yes, I'm back," she stated. "What are you doing here, Rin?" The demon's human ward lifted her head with a smile on her face.

"Lord Sesshomaru said we could visit!" At the mention of the demon lord, Nia's eyebrow twitched. "But when we came to Lord Inuyasha's village, you weren't here… Lord Sesshomaru and Lord Inuyasha talked for a long time, but in the end they decided that I can wait for your return."

"Charming," Nia muttered as she sat up. The two stood up as Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Please tell me _he's_ not lurking around."

"_Nah_, Sesshomaru dropped her off and left soon after."

"Thank God." Nia tossed the backpack she carried to Kagome. "I'm going back to the forest to make Naraku leave. Be back soon."

"Can I come, too, Nia?" Rin asked.

"Sorry, Rin, Naraku is an evil bastard and I don't want you near him," she answered. "Stay here with Uncle Inuyasha."

"Hey! Don't call me that!"

"Don't worry. I'll be back in about ten minutes. Be good for me, Rin." Nia planted a kiss on the little girl's cheek, equipped with the 'muah' sound. Rin grinned widely and nodded her head. "See ya!" The foreigner turned, extending her arm up in a wave. Kagome and Inuyasha watched her go, frowns on their faces.

"You really think she can pull this off?"

"Who knows…?" Inuyasha crossed his arms. He recalled an earlier conversation he had had with Nia prior to her leaving for the future. It had been about Kikyo. He closed his eyes. "But for some reason, I'm not worried."

0-0

Nia wiped the sweat from her forehead. It had taken a good fifteen minutes to drag Naraku's heavy body over to a tree and sit him up with his back pressed against the base. She sighed heavily as she stared at him. _"I wonder when he's going to wake up…"_ she thought. She had put everything into that attack. If she had known it was Naraku, and not Sesshomaru, she probably wouldn't have done it. Probably. Nia dropped down to her knees beside the unconscious demon. Surely he would wake up soon, right? She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. In the meantime, it would be best if she came up with a persona to play in front of Naraku.

She narrowed her eyes. A love struck teenager? A stalker in love? A woman of a forbidden love affair? There were so many roles she could play, but the question was would they work on a demon like Naraku? A smirk suddenly touched her face. She got it. This wasn't the first time Naraku has been in love before. She would use that to her advantage. Nia closed her eyes for a moment. She knew what role she would use now. It was the last day of her time, so her acting wouldn't be as great as it should be. Still, it should be enough to convince him… hopefully.

Her hand reached out and gently caressed Naraku's cheek. His eyebrows furrowed, and then quicker than a blink, Nia's wrist was painfully grabbed. She clenched her teeth, willing herself not to cry out in surprise. Naraku's nostrils flared before his hold on Nia soften. He opened his eyes. "Nia," he said. "What happened?"

"_Lucky…!"_ Nia thought, mentally grinning. "You mean you don't remember?" she said out loud. "After days of not seeing each other… You gave me a welcome back kiss, and then you passed out… again. Naraku, you've really got to stop doing that if this relationship is going to work." The demon only stared at her, not responding. That was fine. Limited talking on his part would serve to have better improvising on her part. Lowering her eyelids a bit, Nia reached with her free hand and cupped his other cheek. "You felt it again, didn't you—that spark?" It was definitely more than a little spark, but if he didn't remember she would definitely use that against him. "I wonder why it's affecting you so much and not little ol' me…"

Naraku suddenly grabbed her chin, pulling her closer. He smirked, leaning forward. "I'm sure I'll get used to it with practice," he said. His left brow rose. "Should we…?"

"If you take the armor off." Nia returned the smirk. "I don't like the idea of pain _and_ pleasure at the same time." Naraku closed his eyes. It only took a few seconds for him to transform back to his original form. "Much better." The woman straddled his midsection. She closed her eyes and licked her lips, tempting him. Of course, the demon complied to her desire with a kiss. Surprisingly, it was soft. Nia pressed harder, sending tiny jolts into his body. He pulled back, blinking. The plan was to have him thinking that the _bond_ between them was so powerful that he could _feel_ it. By periodically shocking him, he would continue to think she was _the one_. She almost felt bad about what she was doing, but then again he had been an evil antagonist for awhile now. Thank God Naraku was a helpless romantic underneath it all. Nia wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him again. She felt his hands gripped her hips.

It was probably the longest kiss she had ever experienced. When it came to her running out of air, Nia broke away from his lips, panting heavily. After about a minute of this, she opened her eyes, locking her gaze with Naraku. Surprisingly, during the kiss, his hands had barely moved except to slide up and down. She would have thought he'd squeeze her bottom or something. "Nia…" he murmured. Now was the time. Showtime, she thought. The demon moved in to kiss her again. However, she reared her head back before their lips connected. Naraku blinked several times, giving her a look of confusion.

Still, Nia continued to move away from him, removing herself from his sitting form. She turned her back to him and hugged herself, shuddering. He didn't understand her sudden change in mood, and so of course he called out to her. "I… I can't do this!" Her eyes squeezed shut. "Not… Not again!" Her grip on herself became tighter.

"What are you-"

"Kikyo…!" Nia snapped, cutting her eyes to the demon. He was surprised to see unshed tears welling in the far corner of her eyes. "I know that you're in love with her!"

"How… How do you know about her?"

"Kagome likes to run her mouth."

"Figures."

Nia hastily stood, letting her arms fall. "I won't do it. I refuse to become the substitute for a woman you can't have!" she cried out. "I won't go through that _again_!" She sharply turned to leave. However, with quick movement, Naraku blocked her from leaving. He grabbed her shoulders. "Let me go!"

"What you heard is old," he said. "At one point, I admit that I did have feelings for that priestess, but she is not you. _You_ are my soul mate." Nia roughly pulled away from him. By now, tears streamed down her cheeks. She didn't sob out. She merely frowned and narrowed her eyes.

"You're only using me, aren't you?" Nia whispered. Her eyes shifted to the grass below. "It's not like I haven't been in this situation before. History tends to repeat itself, ne?" Her head suddenly snapped up. "Don't play with me, Naraku! Don't lead me on like this…" She closed her eyes again, releasing another flow of tears. "Just to break my heart to pieces! I don't want it!"

"You're… You're not going to believe me?" Naraku questioned.

"Why should I? You men are all alike!" Nia spat. Again, she turned, and again she was intercepted. "Move!" The woman wiped at her wet face. He didn't. "Move!" Still, he didn't move. "Bitch, move!" This time he did move. Except it wasn't what she wanted. He had wrapped his arms around her torso, preventing escape. "Stop! Get off me!" Her struggles only made Naraku's hold on her tighter.

"No," he said. The demon had said it in such a soft voice that Nia stopped her efforts to get free. "You've been hurt in the past… but I won't do that to you. That undead woman means nothing to me now that I have you. How can I prove this?" Nia's body trembled. She then collapsed, falling only to her knees before Naraku still had a firm grip. "Nia…" He slowly dropped down to one knee.

"How can you _prove_ it?" she asked. "How about fixing everything you've done? Or, I know, how about showing me that I'm the only one in your heart _and_ mind?" A glare was given by the woman. "Maybe you could even find and snatch back my heart by the man who betrayed me!" Naraku's embrace wavered, giving Nia the chance to pull away from him. "There's no chance of you doing any of these things, so just… _leave me alone_!"

Before Naraku could say another word, Nia took off, running away. She continued to run, partially blind because of the tears. Because of this, she didn't see the tree root. She tripped over it and fell over. Instead of getting right back up and continuing on her way, Nia stayed there. She curled her body and cried loudly. She didn't know how long she stayed there, but finally she deemed it safe to stop her tears.

"_CUT…!"_ she thought. Naraku must have been too shocked with her performance just now. Surely he had taken off by now. Nia really hated her period, but the hormonal imbalance made it easier for her to cry. Playing a seductress who was reluctant to fall in love again had worked in her favor. Hopefully, it would continue to work. She lifted her head, blinked twice at what she saw, and then lowered her head again. Were those black boots? Furrowing her brow, she picked her head up again. Black boots, white hamaka pants, black armor, giant fluffy thing, long silver hair, and narrowed golden eyes—this could only be one person. "Lord Sesshomaru…?" Nia muttered. Then her she glared in suspicion. "Or are you Naraku?"

"You dare call me by that name?" His stare was quite fierce. Nia averted her eyes for a moment and produced a sour expression. This was definitely the real demon lord—it was the same attitude, that was certain. With a grunt, she stood from the ground, wiped her face with the back of her hand, and turned to go. She didn't have the time or patience to deal with him. Sesshomaru was still on her shit list. And it wouldn't be wise to attack him on impulse as she did with Naraku when he had disguised himself. The demon lord could get and keep a grudge just like anyone else. "Have you not learned to not turn your back to me?" He questioned, appearing before her. Nia nearly growled.

"Lord Sesshomaru," she said. "Recall the last time we encountered one another please. If you remember perfectly, I wanted to _kill_ you. And now that I've seen your sexy face after all this time, that hasn't changed. Get out of my way before I do something that gets me killed, thus making Rin miserable and depressed. She could potentially hate you as well." The woman side-stepped the demon, and was about to continue on her way to the village. However, his next sentence made her stop.

"That was quite the show." Nia stopped for a moment, and then whirled around.

"You-" Her eyes darted around.

"Naraku no longer resides nearby."

"You knew?" Nia continued. "How did you?"

"Inuyasha told me of your plan."

"Figures… Kagome's rubbing off on him."

Nia sighed heavily. Honestly, could no one keep their mouths shut nowadays? Not even an hour had gone by, and everyone seemed to know. At this rate, Koga would know by the end of today, _if_ he didn't know already. Nia found herself grimacing. That would get annoying. Knowing Koga's personality, he would be outraged since his feelings for her are sincere. If not Koga, then someone else, equally irritating to deal with, would probably cause problems for her in the future.

0-0

"WHAT?" Ayame screamed at the information she had just received.

0-0

"_I can feel the headache already,"_ Nia thought, frowning. Finally, she returned her focus back to Sesshomaru. "Anyway," she said, scratching her head. "Why do you care? Why are you even here?"

"Don't misunderstand. I do not 'care' for anything you do," he replied. _Someone_ was still an ass. "Your tactics against Naraku are manipulative, using his pathetic emotions against him. This thing you do, you had used to gain power in that village. You are cruel and unashamed of such, doing anything to get what you want. This trait of yours—I haven't come across it in a woman besides my mother."

"Was that a… compliment?"

"An insult," Sesshomaru corrected.

"Peachy." Nia's lip twitched. Yup—he was still an ass. "Why are you _here_, Lord Sesshomaru? It's not to make smartass comments, right? That'd be wasting both of our times. What do you want?"

"Initially, it was not my intention to come across you again. After all, your presence is nearly intolerable, and I find myself wanting to hear your heart stop." Nia clenched her teeth, willing herself not to attack the mighty demon. Oh, he had no idea how much that feeling was reciprocated. "However, my ward has been missing you recently, and so I brought her to you."

"**I hope you die when you're taking a shit, Lord Sesshomaru**!" The foreign words escaped her lips. He did not know what she had said, but she was smiling so warmly. Surely, she was thanking him. His eyelids lowered a bit. It would seem that the woman has been missing his ward as well. Still, this was not his reason for approaching her. If anything, he would have stayed away until he felt it was necessary to retrieve Rin. However, what his younger brother had told him had him quite intrigued. This woman, although quite different from any other human woman, had managed to make Naraku fall in love with her. With just an act. Talent like that shouldn't be wasted.

"After discussing with my brother of your intention towards Naraku, I have decided to use you."

"_Huh_? Use me?"

"Yes. If you do not die because of your tactics against Naraku, I will use you to suit my needs."

"… In a sexual way?" Her voice sounded hopeful.

"No, you perverse woman."

"Damn it." Nia crossed her arms. "Then what do you mean by use? My acting abilities?"

"Precisely."

The woman narrowed her eyes, clearly skeptical. What could Sesshomaru possibly want with her talent to act? One would think the notion of putting on another personality was beneath him. Nia's eyebrow twitched as she closed her eyes. The demon lord was not easy to read. More than likely, she would not be able to act like him, completely, no matter how much she tried. Sesshomaru was too complicated of a character. That was another thing that irritated her about him. She didn't want to help him, but… this could be a blessing in disguise. Nia cracked one eye open. "Is there payment involved?" she asked.

"… Of course," Sesshomaru answered. He seemed hesitate, though. "The form of payment will not be any sexual favors."

"_Hm_…" Nia was highly disappointed with that, but she shrugged it off. That wasn't her objective anyway. This was a big opportunity to enact her vengeance upon him. She smirked. Hell—she was definitely going to give him hell. "As payment for my services to you, may I ask you of something else?" He was probably suspicious, but Sesshomaru nodded his head. "Great, we will discuss that when the time comes. Until then-" She extended her arm. "Consider myself under contract." The demon lord merely stared down at her appendage. "You're supposed to do the same thing." Slowly, Sesshomaru outstretched his hand as well. Nia grabbed his hand and shook. Actually, it was weird that this deal was being made. Did he not think of her as a human, and so it was a bit okay to consort like this? She had told him that she was a mutant. Mentally shrugging, Nia decided to question his behavior at a later time. Right now, all that matter was quickly taking care of Naraku so that she could get to work on her revenge against him.

"_A chill…?"_ Sesshomaru thought as the foreign woman released his hand. He had suddenly felt something stir within him when they had touched. He narrowed his eyes as she bowed, and then turned, heading back to the village where his brother resided. He watched her go until she was out of his sight. Concerning her, he had gone over several different scenarios, and all of them pointed to her still despising him. It was better to watch her closely than from afar. She had been quick to give up before, and so he shouldn't be distressed. However, she had accepted his proposal quick—too quickly for his liking. She had not even asked for details of what he wished her to do. And since she did indeed hated him, that caused his suspicious to increase immensely. Because of her acting talents, gauging a reaction from her was quite a feat to accomplish. _"What are you planning, woman?"_

0-0

I feel like… I've lost sight of this story's _original_ plot in the revision process. Oh no, this is kinda bad, oh no!


	13. Chapter 12

"Naraku _and_ Sesshomaru?" Inuyasha inquired. His nose twitched. The half demon gave a disappointed looked towards the foreign woman, who had just entered Kaede's home. "You really know how to pick 'em."

"Shut up, Inuyasha," Nia murmured, sitting down. She blinked once, and then fully examined him. Rin was curled up next to him, resting her head on his folded knee. A grin stretched onto her face as she narrowed her eyes. "_Aww_, warming up to little Rin?" The half demon flushed, and then pointed a finger.

"This is your fault! If you hadn't called me Uncle Inuyasha, she wouldn't have viewed me as such!" he kept himself from shouting because the little girl was still sleeping. Nia only giggled and wished she had a camera, whatever the heck that was. "Anyway, what did you and Sesshomaru talk about? I was under the impression that you hated each other."

"Oh, I definitely hate him," Nia stated. She crossed her arms and closed her eyes. "But since you can't keep your mouth shut, he's decided to use my acting skills for his benefit, whatever that may be. He gave me an offer I couldn't refuse." The woman smirked. "I'll enjoy making his life hell." Inuyasha shivered. Why were females so damn scary? "But enough about that. Where's everyone else?"

"Miroku and Sango decided to leave. Sango went to the Demon Slayer village while Miroku went back to his temple," Inuyasha explained. "They agreed to this plan of yours, but they didn't think they could control themselves if they see Naraku again."

"Good thinking. Distractions would only make this longer than it needs to be. With them out of the way, I can do whatever I want," Nia replied. "But where does that lead you?"

"I'm not leaving just because! I can control myself just fine!" Inuyasha decided to ignore the look of skepticism from the foreign woman. "Anyway, Kagome went off to do something—I don't know what. Shippo is playing with the village's children."

"And Kagura…?"

"She took off a few days ago. She didn't say anything to me, though."

"That's Kagura for you. Miss Independent~! Miss Self-sufficient! Miss Keep Your Distance~!"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes at her attempts at singing. "By the way, what are you going to do about Koga?" Nia narrowed her eyes, but the half-demon chose to ignore it. "I know that scrawny wolf, and he'll definitely interfere, probably get himself killed, too." Her hazel eyes drifted to the side. "I held back against him, but Naraku definitely won't."

"Yeah, I know… Naraku's the type of person that doesn't like sharing, which is why he thought of such an elaborate plan to make Kikyo his." Inuyasha flinched, hearing the undead priestess' name. "All this stuff happened because he fell in love with her." The foreign woman brought her legs up and hugged her knees. For a moment, her eyes closed. "But Koga's pretty persistent. I'm not sure what will happen to him. I'm hoping that they never encounter, at least until I'm through with Naraku."

"And if they do…?"

"Then my plans turn to shit, and one of us three might die," Nia muttered.

"… You don't sound that worried."

"That's because I'm sure that it won't be me."

"…" Inuyasha merely shook his head. "Whatever. Personally, I don't care which of them goes. I don't like the scrawny wolf either." The foreigner chuckled. "I'm serious!"

"Yeah, yeah—I hear you barking."

"Shut up!" His shout succeeded in waking the sleeping girl. "Damn it…" Rin lifted her head, messily rubbing at her eyes. Then she spotted Nia. A smile lit up the girl's face. She launched herself at the woman, once again knocking her to the floor. Grinning, Nia patted the girl's head.

"Yup—and now that you're up, we can do some fun things." She stood, taking the child with her. "Me and you, Rin. Let's leave Uncle Inuyasha to _brood_."

"Okay!" The younger female sounded very excited.

"Hey, stop it with the uncle crap!"

0-0

"Thanks for meeting me, Kagome."

"No problem, Koga."

"No problems getting away from mutt face?"

"Not really…" Both Kagome and Koga stood miles away from the outskirts of the village. Even with his sensitive nose, Inuyasha could not smell them together like this. That was good. Neither of the two wanted his interruption. Though, Kagome did not know the reason she was called out like this. It was probably to get advice from her. Koga was seriously into Nia, so the idea was plausible. However, the wolf demon seemed to be nervous about it. Sure he was sitting, cross-legged—Indian style, but… it was weird, considering his normal behavior. Kagome sat across from him, sitting on her legs. "So what's up?" Finally, he turned his eyes her way.

"Kagome… I've been meaning to tell you something for awhile now," he stated. Brown eyes blinked repeatedly. So this wasn't about Nia…? However, she didn't speak her thoughts out loud. Koga scratched the auricle part of his ear. "Before I get too involved with my woman, I want to clear up things… the things in the past."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean… I was in love with you, Kagome," he admitted. The girl's eyes widened, and then looked away. So Nia _had_ been right. "At first, I only looked at you as a shard seeker and potential breeder. I don't know when, but somewhere along the way after I continued to encounter you, real feelings came along. I really wanted to take you away from Inuyasha and make you mine." For a moment, the wolf demon stopped talking. He closed his eyes and gripped his knee. "But I was a coward. I wasn't sure if you felt anything for me. After all, either you wouldn't give me a clear answer or Inuyasha would intervene. I became used to these routines, so I didn't try harder like I wanted to."

"Koga…" Kagome frowned. "You-"

"Nearly half a year ago, I realized that you would never return my feelings. You chose that mutt over me, probably without a second thought," Koga mentioned. "And I wanted to give up. I pushed my feelings on Nia. She was my scapegoat, so I wouldn't have to think about you. She knew my intentions and told me, no holding back, that what I was doing was idiotic. Without remorse, she rejected me." He smirked. "I don't even think she pitied me."

"Well, Nia's not really the type of person to hold back," Kagome commented.

"No joke," Koga chuckled. "I think I began to love her even then. She was the first woman who had made me feel like I was just some immature pup, made me want to change and grow up." The girl lowered her head. Nia had told her a bit of the same thing. "And so I wanted to let you know my feelings that I had for you so that I can completely move on." He saw that Kagome was about to speak. "You don't have to say anything."

"No, I… I need to. Nia told me I needed to grow up to and stopped running away from my problems." Her hands clenched on her knees. She was seventeen now, and yet to everyone else, it probably appeared that she hadn't matured at all. Nia had only been with the group for a small amount of time, compared to anyone else, and yet she had seen right through. Was Inuyasha fed up with her immaturity? She had _sat_ him just before she had left to meet with Koga. And she had justified that by thinking he wouldn't let her go otherwise. "You're right… I never saw you as anything other than a friend. Not even once. I'm sorry that I never gave you a proper answer before. I shouldn't have strung you along. I'm so sorry."

For awhile, neither of them spoke. Then Koga cleared his throat. "It's fine. Although I do wish I knew before, but…" He sighed out. "It's all in the past." The wolf demon rubbed the back of his neck. "So… _uh_… _Eheh_… Now that that's settled, I want to ask about Nia."

"Oh, you want advice?" Kagome asked.

"You have known her longer."

The girl tapped a finger to her lips. "Well, she's a bit of an enigma. I never know what's she's thinking because she can control her facial expression to the point where it's scary," Kagome murmured, looking up. "But she's really perverted. I don't think she would ever turn down intimate gestures."

"_Uhh_… I already knew that," Koga stated. His cheeks grew warm. "I meant like… how can I get her to like me. I thought about getting her flowers, but-"

"That wouldn't work. That definitely wouldn't work. Nia is not a normal girl. She'd probably toss them aside and say 'I don't need this,' or 'Why would you give me something so useless?' or even 'Giving me something with a short lifespan? Do you know how stupid that makes you look?' That sounds just like her, sounding mean," Kagome muttered.

"Actually, she's blunt. And I _do_ like her for that, Kagome." Koga narrowed his eyes. The girl blinked, and then laughed nervously. She mumbled an apology. "But flowers are a no-go, so I'll have to come up with something longer lasting."

"Jewelry's not going to cut it either," Kagome remarked. "She doesn't even wear shoes let alone jewelry." The wolf demon sighed heavily. The schoolgirl frowned again. It must be hard trying to gain the affections of such a stubborn and headstrong woman. "Hey, don't lose hope so quickly. I'm sure Nia will come around eventually. I mean, it's not like she's in love with anyone else, so don't beat yourself up."

"Thanks, Kagome."

"No problem."

"Oh, I know!" The girl suddenly clapped her hands. "You could get her something made of metal." Koga's eyebrows furrowed. "Since she has control over energy and lightning. I'm sure she'll find a good use for an object made of metal."

"Wait, wait—Nia isn't a regular human?"

"_Uh oh_…" Kagome averted her eyes. _"Something tells me I wasn't supposed to let that slip," _she thought.

0-0

Nia shivered, feeling a strange urge to shock Kagome Higurashi into unconsciousness. _"That's odd. She's nowhere near here," _she thought. The woman shrugged, and then focused her attention back to Rin. The little girl was currently making a chain of flowers. She was concentrating quite hard, too. Nia smiled from her place under the tree. _"Maybe I shouldn't corrupt her just to make Lord Sesshomaru's life miserable."_ She closed her eyes. If she were not to use Rin to hurt him, then she should think of another plan. Too bad there weren't many things that would affect the mighty lord. _"I'll think about it tomorrow after a good rest."_ After all, her time of the month was coming to an end. It would be easier thinking of something if anger for the demon lord didn't take up most of her logical thought process.

"Nia…!" Rin's voice caused the foreign woman to crack her eyes open. The little girl stood over her, holding out her latest creation. "Isn't it pretty?"

"Of course it is, especially since you made it yourself," she replied. A hand reached up and patted the girl's head. "Your skills are quite admirable."

"You think so…?" Rin grinned. "I made it for Uncle Inuyasha! I think he'll like it."

"I think so, too," Nia said. _"Because I will force him to,"_ she finished in thought. "Are you ready to go back and give it to him?" Rin rapidly nodded her head. The woman stood up with a grunt. "Alright then. Let's get going."

Come to think of it, they had spent a long period of time away. Running around with Rin took a lot of energy and it was time-consuming. She hadn't realized time had gone so fast. That's just how much fun it was being with the little girl. As she thought, Rin had a certain charm about her that would make even the strongest person bend to her will. Using her against Sesshomaru would be great. However, after some thought, that plan probably wouldn't go anywhere just like the last one. She had grown fond of Rin just as she had grown fond of the Lord of that village. Sesshomaru was such a lucky son of a bitch. All the people she had encountered that she was going to use to send him to hell—they had all become people she cared about. It was almost annoying.

Rin tugged her along, going past many houses, including Kaede's. Inuyasha was probably off snoozing somewhere. Predictably, the little girl led Nia right to a tree. Low and behold, the half demon was lying down on one of the highest branches of the tree. One of his legs hung over the branch. "Uncle Inuyasha…!" Rin called up to him. "Uncle Inuyasha, I made you something!"

"Come down here!" Nia shouted. Finally, annoyed, the half demon jumped down. He, of course, was scowling.

"What?" he gruffly asked.

"I made you this!" Rin showed him the chain of flowers that she had made. "You can wear it around your ears!"

"_Uh_—no thanks, kid," Inuyasha answered. "I don't like-"

"Inuyasha really wants to wear it!" Nia interrupted. Without warning, the crown of flowers was placed onto his head, courtesy of the foreign woman. "Wow, you look good!"

"Hey!"

"Now, don't take it off and disappoint little sister," Nia told him. "Or there will be _hell_ to pay!" Inuyasha crossed his arms. His right ear twitched, yet he said nothing. "That's a good boy." Rin giggled. "Anyway, did Kagome come back?"

"_Nah_, she's still gone somewhere," Inuyasha answered.

"Oh, well… can I trouble you to watch Rin?"

"What? Why?" He sounded very upset with the idea.

"Because I have things to do," Nia answered with a shrug. "You're her uncle, anyway."

"Stop calling me that!"

"Look, I have to do some research. It involves Naraku, so take care of her for awhile." Inuyasha sighed heavily. Rin took that as confirmation. She launched herself at the half demon's leg. "Such a good boy!" Nia attempted to pet him. However, he swiped at her with his claws. Fortunately, she saw this coming and took several steps back to avoid get scratched. "Thanks, Inuyasha, you're a doll!" She blew a kiss his way. The half demon caught it with a smile, and then threw it on the ground with a glare. "_Jeez_—that guy's been hanging around me too much," Nia murmured as she walked away.

In all honesty, the reason she had left Rin behind with Inuyasha was not because of Naraku and research. No, the reason was because she was tired, exhausted even. She didn't think she could keep up with that ball of energy known as Rin. It was almost sad. Approaching twenty, yet feeling like an old person. _Haah_… Oh well. She was tired, and she was going to sleep the rest of this period off. Nia entered Kaede's home. Good, no one was here. She could sleep in peace and quiet.

Nia stretched and yawned in preparation of getting some well deserved rest. Perhaps in her dreams, she could figure out how the last scene with Naraku was going to play out. That is, if things continue to run smoothly. The woman was about to lay down, but a flash caught her eye. She turned, searching for the source. One of the smaller pockets of Kagome's yellow bag was glowing. Nia blinked. "I should probably stay away from that," she told herself. Yawning, she stepped towards the bag. "But what the hell—I'm curious." Her hand reached into the pocket. She pulled out a small vial with jewel shards inside. They were glowing. Uncapping the bottle, she upturned it. The shards of the Shikon Jewel fell into her palm.

It was at that moment that a white light blinded Nia. Seconds later, she collapsed. Almost as quickly, her eyes shot open. She sat up, frantically looking around. No longer was she in Kaede's home. The shards weren't in her hand. Her current surroundings seemed to be in some type of forest. However, it felt different from any forest she had ever been in. It was completely silent. No birds. No bugs. No wind. Where the heck was she? "You have finally come." A strangely familiar voice caused Nia to sharply turn her head to the left. Her eyes expanded at the woman, whom was walking towards her. The woman wore white haori, red hakama, and ancient armor. She had long black hair and deep brown eyes. Her lips were painted red and she also wore lavender colored eye shadow.

"Priestess Midoriko…" Nia uttered, not believing her eyes. Why was she standing in front of such a person? The foreign woman gasped. _"Am I inside?" _she thought. _"Why me? I didn't ask for this crap!"_

"Nia," the old priestess called to her, snapping the foreign woman out of her woes. Nia bowed her head. In the presence of Midoriko, of course she knew how to show respect. The woman in front of her was probably the only character in this world that she had undoubtedly respected. She was beautiful, powerful, and independent. Midoriko was definitely someone to look up to. "I have waited for you."

"Waited for me…? Why me? How come?" Nia questioned. God, she hoped she didn't have to save the world or something stupid like that. That would have been too bothersome for her tastes. Not to mention, it sounded completely dangerous. Nia was unashamed to admit that she was no heroine.

"Yes," Midoriko continued. "You have done something that connects me, yourself, and Onigumo. This connection can lead to salvation."

"Onigumo?" Nia exclaimed. Of course, she knew who that was. However, how did a woman, from way back in the day, know who he was?

"My apologies. I believe you and your comrades call him by the name of Naraku," Midoriko stated. Nia could only stare and wait for an explanation. "I am aware that you have caused Naraku to fall in love with you. This is a rather… difficult thing to accomplish, yet you have managed. Kikyo did not know the power she possessed, and so as a result, she died."

"Huh…?"

"You, however, do fully realize what you can do because of Naraku's love for you," Midoriko continued as if Nia hadn't squeaked out. "It is because of this that the three of us are connected. You can put an end to Naraku and bring back the Onigumo that I loved." A blank stare was given, yet the priestess paid no mind to it. "Naraku does not remember his time as Onigumo for he had thrown his heart away along with the memories of his first lover. Upon meeting Kikyo, he was taken by her because she reminded him so much of me. However, Kikyo was already in love with the half demon, known as Inuyasha. The connection between us—Onigumo, Kikyo, and I—did not last and ended in tragedy. I had initially believed that Kagome, Kikyo's reincarnation, was the one who would cause Naraku to return to Onigumo. However, he did not fall for the girl. She is completely different from myself and Kikyo in almost every way." Midoriko pointed a slender finger. "You, on the other hand, although different, worked your way into his heart. Because of this, you are the one that can cause myself and Onigumo to move on."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, but all I heard was _blah, blah, blah_, Onigumo put it on me, _blah, blah, blah_!" Nia interrupted. "And that part just confuses the hell outta me. Can you go back to the beginning because honestly, I'm about to freak the heck out."

"Yes, of course," Midoriko nodded her head. She dropped down to her knees in a sitting position. "This information would surely cause… shock." For a moment, the priestess closed her eyes. "Allow me to explain from the beginning before Naraku was Naraku, before the Jewel of Four Souls came into existence, before I became the most terrifying human of the demons, before the tragic battle…" Her eyes opened. "I will tell you so that you will have a better understanding, Nia. Are you ready?"

"_Hell_ no!"

0-0


	14. Chapter 13

Nia was abruptly awakened, from her Shikon shard induced slumber, by violent shaking. The familiar voice of Inuyasha, annoyingly, called out her name, telling her to wake up. With a near demon-like growl, she shoved him away. "What the hell's your problem?" she yelled. Groaning, she grabbed her forehead. Her brain felt like it was pounding against her skull. The woman scowled, remembering the images that Priestess Midoriko had shown her of the one known as Onigumo. She thought she was bad. No, _those_ two were a couple of _freaks_!

"What the hell's _your_ problem?" Inuyasha retorted, pointing a finger. Hazel eyes shifted up to the half demon. Rin, looking concerned, was on his shoulder. "I smelled your blood, so I came rushing here. You were passed out, holding the shards. You wouldn't let go of them either." Nia looked down at her hand. Like he said, her fingers were curled. She opened her hand to reveal the blood-soaked shards. The tips had cut into her skin, and she hadn't even noticed the pain. Oh, there it was.

"Why…?" Nia hissed, dropping the shards. She grabbed her wrist and held up her bloody appendage. "Blood~! No!"

"Would you calm the hell down?" Inuyasha rolled his eyes at the dramatics of the foreign woman. He dropped down, picking up the discarded jewel shards. "I'm going to go wash these off. Come with me, so you can explain!" Nia reluctantly nodded her head, and then followed the half demon outside. They didn't talk on the way over to the river. However, Rin looked back and forth between them. Her look of concern did not disappear. Finally, the group of three came to the river. Inuyasha set Rin on the ground. "Go play, but stay close," he told her. The little girl frowned, but she nodded and followed the order regardless. Inuyasha sat down near the water's edge. Nia did the same. "You know, you don't have to sit so close, damn it!" He began to rinse the blood from the shards.

"Suit yourself," Nia replied with a shrug. She scooted a bit away from the half demon. She then placed her hand in the cool stream. "So anyway, I was about to go to sleep when I saw the shards glowing in Kagome's bag. Curious, I took them out. They took me to a place where-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Inuyasha interrupted. "I thought you said you were going to do research about Naraku!" Nia gave him a blank stare.

"At this point, you still believe the things I tell you when it comes to me?"

"Damn you," Inuyasha glowered. The foreign woman narrowed her eyes. Her focus was on the river, though. It was probably a good idea not to tell about her encounter with the legendary priestess. Not yet, at least. What she had learned from Midoriko would definitely come in handy against Naraku. In fact, her scenes for him could come to a close quicker than she imagined thanks to this information. However, having someone else know could lead to disaster. Especially since Inuyasha proved that he was turning into Kagome when it came to gossip. The foreign woman shook her head disapprovingly. "Well, aren't you going to continue?"

"Well, there's no point. I can't remember now," Nia lied. Again, she shrugged. "It's like, you know you had a dream, but you can't remember what it was about. The next thing I know, you're waking me up."

"_Keh_…" Inuyasha scoffed.

"So how long was I out?"

"It had been three hours before I smelled your blood."

"I see… And Kagome's still not back?" Nia murmured. Inuyasha gave a negative answer. She removed her hand from the water. Most of the blood had been washed away. The cuts in her palm were no longer bleeding. "But since I have you alone now-"

"For the last time, I'm _not_ going to practice kissing techniques with you!"

"Dude, I wasn't even going to say that!" Nia exclaimed. Her cheeks warmed. Damn this half demon for seeing right through her. She cleared her throat. "I was going to question you about Kikyo and Kagome." As expected, Inuyasha flinched. "Don't even think about avoiding the conversation, Inuyasha. You tell me straight up how you feel about them. I want to know." The foreign woman massaged her broken flesh. Fortunately, her blood remained in her body. "The reason I'm asking is because I'm not sure anymore. I referred to Kagome as your second chance at happiness, and predictably, you looked her way. However, I had days to think about it. Your expression when you looked at her… It wasn't what I thought it was going to be."

"Wha-What's that supposed to mean?" Inuyasha lowered his eyes.

"When you looked at her, I thought there would be longing in your eyes," Nia explained. "However, you seemed more upset than anything. Tell me why, Inuyasha. Why did you give Kagome the same expression you give Kikyo?"

"How do you-?"

"Irrelevant."

Inuyasha released a heavy sigh. There was no getting away from this with Nia. Despite her perverseness, she was serious at times. At those times, it was near impossible to not talk about… _feelings_. The half demon frowned. The very thought of talking about something like this used to make him shudder violently. However, with Nia… He supposed she was easy to speak with as she didn't judge him. "To tell you the truth… I don't know what I want anymore," he finally admitted. He suddenly gave a mirthless chuckle. A bitter smile appeared on his face. "I used to be so alone. No one wanted a half demon child around. After my mother died, I was pretty much a walking shell. Then I saw Sesshomaru." Inuyasha closed his eyes. "I had seen him a few times before, but I never actually spoken to him. My mother had told me that he was my brother. And that I should stay away from him. But when I saw him that day… I guess I was relieved. I had been glad to know that I wasn't really alone in the world. I thought I still had family. But…" He opened his eyes again, glaring at the river. "Sesshomaru rejected me and the title of brother. He called me a disgrace and even tried to kill me. He said that he would never accept a weak half breed into his family."

"Yeah, that sounds like the jackass," Nia remarked.

"It was _because_ of that jackass that I sought the Shikon Jewel," Inuyasha confessed. "He said he wouldn't accept a half demon, so I thought… if I were to become a full demon, he _would_ accept me. That's what I wanted more than anything—acceptance. I was young and naïve." His golden eyes averted. Nia shifted her eyes to him, yet said nothing. "My goal changed when I met Kikyo, though. Somewhere along the way of me trying to steal the jewel, I began to fall in love with her. She reminded me of my mother. She showed me kindness even after seeing my human form. I wanted to be with her. I… wanted to become human for her. And then…"

"Naraku tricked you both, and your love for one another ended in tragedy," Nia finished.

"Yeah," he nodded. "That's when Kagome came into my life." His eyebrows furrowed. "She was the first person to accept me for me. She didn't want anything from me. She didn't want me to change. It was through her that I gained other friendships. Even yours. I… I love her…"

"But…?" she urged the half demon to go on.

"But… I don't know what to do anymore. My goals have changed throughout my life, and now I have nothing to reach for," Inuyasha continued. "With Naraku turning into some love struck demon, I don't even feel like killing him anymore. Kikyo… I wanted to avenge her death, but she doesn't seem to care either way. I know we still have feelings for each other, but it wasn't how it used to be. I care for her, but it's not the same love I had. And it feels like the same thing is happening with Kagome."

"Why do you think that is? What is making you doubt your feelings for Kagome?"

"You."

"Sorry, Inuyasha, you're sexy and all and I _do_ want to do bad things to you, but-"

"You _idiot_! I wasn't talking about that!"

"Yes, yes—I know, cutie. Now continue."

"You stupid…" Inuyasha crossed his arms and grumbled to himself. Finally, he explained what he meant. "You said that when a person is in love, that love is all they think about and make decisions about. For a long time, I was balancing Naraku, Kikyo, and Kagome, with Naraku being the biggest priority. Then you came to us with that plan. What happens to Naraku now is out of my hands and I don't have to really think about it. Now that he was out of the way, I thought I would only think of Kikyo or Kagome."

"But you're hung up on the fact that you have no goal now, right?" Nia questioned. Inuyasha stiffly nodded his head. "Oh silly Inuyasha, you're just grieving that's all."

"Grieving…? Where the hell did you come up with that?"

"I have great observational skills. I've seen this happen before. It generally happens with the male species," Nia explained. At the half demon's dazed expression, she chuckled. "Okay, you were after Naraku in hopes of hunting him down and killing him for the sake of Kikyo. You, yourself, said it a top priority. Basically, this was your job. Because of my plan, you lost your job. Losing a job that you worked so hard on is like losing a part of yourself. Hence why I said you are grieving. You find that you don't want to think about anything." Nia crossed her arms and closed her eyes. "_Hm_—it's like super hero vs. super villain. They've been fighting each other for so long that it's basically become a routine. Then suddenly one of them succeeds in killing the other. Now, the remaining one is left with nothing to do anymore. The question 'Now what?' would constantly be at their mind. You get it?"

"I… think so," Inuyasha muttered.

"If you do then you realize that you won't feel this way forever," Nia said. She shoved the half demon's shoulder and grinned. "This feeling is temporary and you will eventually move on. And you'll focus on the future with whoever the love of your life is." Inuyasha rubbed his shoulder, though it didn't hurt.

"Yeah, I guess so," he said. His eyes flickered over to her. "Well, what about you? What happens when your job's done?"

"_Uh_… you mean with Naraku?" Nia's gaze shifted to the sky. The sun was still in the process of setting. "I'm going to start a male harem!" she announced snapping her fingers. Inuyasha fell back at her words. "_Eh_? What? It's a great aspiration to have."

"You idiot…!" he groaned. "I should have seen that coming."

"So… you wanna be the first?" She wiggled her eyebrows. The half demon scowled.

"Not on your _life_!" Inuyasha snapped. Nia shrugged again before laying back as well. For a moment, the two merely stared up at the sky. Then the half demon opened his mouth. "Thanks…" he said. "You're perverted as hell, but… you're a good friend. Thank you." Nia locked her fingers behind her head. She smirked as she closed her eyes.

"Yup," she said. "That's how I roll!" Inuyasha rolled his eyes, but he could not hide the tiny smile on his face. With a soft sigh, he shifted his sight back to the sky. After a moment, Nia slowly opened her eyes again. She hadn't said it back, but Inuyasha was also a good friend. Perhaps she even considered him a sibling? There was no doubt that she cared for Inuyasha. She cared for the others as well. Her eyelids lowered. _"I think I just figured out what to ask Lord Sesshomaru for because of our deal_," she thought. Her smirk widened.

Perhaps he would experience hell because of it, too?

0-0

It was days later that Sesshomaru returned to pick up Rin. It was the most awkward exchange between brothers. They had greeted one another with _grunts_. Weird! Usually, insults were exchanged, not grunts. Even now, as Nia followed the demon lord to the outskirts of the village, she couldn't help but think that the relationship between them was quite unhealthy. With her hands behind her back, she made a humming noise. This is what made Sesshomaru stop his movements. He spoke to Rin, whom was walking ahead. He told her to go ahead towards where Jaken and Ah-Un were waiting their arrival. Smiling widely, the young girl nodded her head. Her big brown eyes turned to Nia. She waved, and then ran off.

Once she was out of earshot, Sesshomaru turned to face the foreign woman. Her hazel eyes stared back at him. She made another humming noise. He narrowed his eyes. "What are you thinking, woman?" he questioned. Nia smirked. It was probably the closest to seeing him squirming that she would ever get. It was still a good thing to see. Mentally, she grinned.

"Oh nothing really," Nia replied. "But since we're alone-"

"I will not practice kissing techniques with you, perverse woman."

"God damn it, that's not what I was thinking!" Nia snarled, pissed that her intention was figured out so quickly. Damn dog demon brothers, seeing right through her. How did they know? She rolled her eyes. She then coughed into her closed fist. "I wanted to talk about the contract. As I've already agreed to do it, then that's already taken care of. What we need to discuss is the details of the contract. What is it that you need me to do for you? And what is it that I ask of you? Right?"

"Quite," Sesshomaru said. "In essence, I would like for you to be my spy." A brow rose. Nia, though, did not inquire about what he meant. The thing about the demon lord was that you didn't need to repeat anything he said to have him continue the explanation. "You will use your acting abilities, in any way you wish, to gather information for me. While you are under contract, you will reside in my home, be under my protection, and follow my orders. You will not answer to anyone other than me. Are we understood?"

"Yes," Nia nodded her head. "I will come up with a role to play for your spy. However, I must ask… To whom am I spying on?"

"There are rumors of their being a traitor in my circle of allies. I intend to find the source," he replied.

"Are we talking leaders or their highest subordinates?"

"At the moment, I am not sure," Sesshomaru admitted. "This is a dangerous task that I am asking you to do. What is it that you want as compensation?" Nia crossed her arms. Then she made the humming sound that was bound to piss the demon lord off. As expected, his upper lip twitched. It was a miniscule action, but because she was looking for it, she saw it clearly.

"I haven't had time to think about it yet, but once I know, I'll tell you," she said. "When will you require my services, Lord Sesshomaru?"

"The beginning of the next month cycle," he answered.

"_I'm going to assume he means next month…"_ Nia thought. If that was the case, that meant she only had three more weeks until she worked for Sesshomaru. As a spy. Oh, the things she did for people she cared about. "Right… By then, I will have settled things with Naraku," she spoke out loud. Smiling, she stepped closer to Sesshomaru. Her upper body leaned forward. "I hope that we can help each other until the end." Without another word, she turned on her heel and left the demon standing there alone.

"Your disrespect will not be tolerated any longer," he told her.

"What are you going to do? _Spank_ me? Because honestly, I'd probably like th-"

Nia had to dodge Sesshomaru's Whip of Light.

"Stupid woman," he called her before turning around. He walked towards his subordinates at a leisure pace. Nia watched him go with a frown. Some people just couldn't take jokes. She sighed heavily before continuing her way towards the village. Admittedly, she was leading a horrible life at the moment. It was fun when she first came to this place. However, getting involved—she hadn't wanted it. And yet here she was, so deeply involved. Naraku, Sesshomaru—everyone wanted a piece of her. Nia sighed again, fixing her eyes on the ground as she walked. It was a bit disheartening to realize that she hadn't gotten some since she was relocated here. Speaking of which, what the hell kind of power caused her to be here in the first place?

Initially, she had believed it to be Naraku that brought her here. When the way things were, that was a bit impossible. The lovesick demon would have said something by now. Nia tapped a finger tip to her bottom lip, and then rubbed it back and forth. They were chapped. Great. Pulling a small tube of lip gloss from her jean shorts, the foreign woman thought about her circumstance. Upon coming to this world, her laptop had disappeared. But her dog, Inuyasha, was brought here, yet in a different location. Nia's head tilted to the side as she applied the gloss to both of her lips. Could that mean that her laptop was in a different location, too? And if so, could that be her key out of this place?

She would certainly need an exit route if things got too hectic with Sesshomaru wanting her to be a spy _of all things_. Nia rubbed her lips together as she pocketed her gloss. If it wasn't one thing, it was another. Shrugging, the woman quickened her pace. The entrance of the village was in sight. She could even see her favorite red-clad half demon in his favorite dead tree. She stopped suddenly. The poor guy… He was so emotionally stressed thanks to her doing. The antagonist had turned love struck. He didn't even want to think about love at the moment. In addition to that, he only wanted acceptance. This whole thing didn't start with Naraku. It started with Sesshomaru. Inuyasha had yet to realize this. And somehow, Nia found herself smack-dab in the middle of it. "_Haah_…! **There ain't no rest for the wicked**~!" Nia sang as she continued on.

Before she could take more than five steps forward, the wind suddenly picked up. It was harsh, too. Nia squeezed her eyes shut and brought her arms up in an attempt to protect her face. Just as quickly as he came, the wind stopped. Slowly, she dropped her arms and opened her eyes. "Nia, yo…" The foreign woman put on a sour expression before rolling her eyes. "You miss me?" The leader of the wolf demon pack stood before her, looking as arrogant as ever. Mentally, Nia gave an exaggerated sigh.

"No," she answered, bluntly. "Can't say I did." Her response caused a dejected look to cross Koga's face. However, it was only for a moment. The smirk had returned. He stepped closer. Nia didn't move away. Still, her eyes averted. "What do you want?" she asked.

"I think it's pretty clear at this point, Nia." Without warning, the foreign woman was given a quick peck on the cheek. Scowling, she almost punched him for his actions. Luckily, the wolf demon reared his head back to avoid the strike. "I got you something," Koga announced. It was at that moment that Nia realized he had been hiding his right arm behind his back the entire time. Her eyebrow rose in mild curiosity. "I hope you like it." He revealed the small gift by opening his hand. In the palm of his hand, there was a ring. However, instead of a jewel, there was flower made of metal. The petals were long and curved, yet the engravings were pretty. Nia blinked, leaning forward to examine it better. It would seem that the petals were silver and also sharp—like the material used was the same as the material to make swords. "It's a ring, but it can be used as a weapon. Just in case you're in a tight spot." Koga took grabbed her left wrist and slipped the dangerous piece of jewelry on her ring finger. It fitted perfectly. She stared down at the ring. The petals partially covered her pinky finger and middle finger, too. "And since it's made of metal, you can use your power on it."

"What? How did you-?"

"Kagome."

"Figures," Nia muttered, rolling her eyes. So that's why the schoolgirl was acting strangely the past few days. "Well, thanks. Something like this could be useful to me." Koga grinned, clearly relieved at her response. "Did you make it yourself?"

"I thought of the design. I had a demon blacksmith do it for me," he stated. Nia stared at the ring for a moment longer, humming to herself. She then met the wolf demon's eyes. With her right index finger, she beckoned him forward. Koga blinked, yet bent his body towards her. Nia pressed her lips against his, causing his blue eyes to widen. She slowly pulled away with a smile on her face.

"It was thoughtful of you to get me this," she said. "Thank you, Koga." His cheeks warmed considerably. He appeared quite feverish. "Well, I'm going back. See you around." Nia stepped around the stunned demon and continued her walk towards the village. However, before she could make it far, her right wrist was grabbed. She blinked once before turning around. Koga's hand had shot out to grab her. However, he did not turn. "Koga…?" She could seriously hear his salvia slid down his throat. Finally, he turned to face her.

"I…" His gaze traveled downward. "Can I have another one?"

"_Tsk, tsk, tsk_—greedy, greedy, Koga," Nia responded. If possible the blush on his face darkened. The foreigner chuckled. She took his other hand. Finally, his eyes lifted to meet her gaze. Nia lead him off the path and into the cover of the forest. At last, her back pressed against the bark of a tree. She pulled the wolf demon towards her body. "I'll give you another," she murmured. Her arms wrapped around his neck. She forcibly pulled him down as she fell to her knees. Koga opened his mouth to say something, but Nia gave him no time. She pulled him forward, causing their lips to collide. Well, almost. She had wanted to see his reaction. And yes, it had been quite the reaction. His eyes were expanded and his entire face, even his ears, was a dark pink. Nia tilted her head a bit, watching him. "You're cuter than I thought," she whispered.

"N-Nia…!" His hands found their way to her sides. Smirking, she lied back. "You want me to kiss you?" She nodded. Slowly, he leaned forward, moving his hands to the ground beside her. His lips hovered over hers for a time. "Your lips… They smell like strawberries."

"Have a taste."

Swallowing hard, Koga nodded. His lips covered hers. The kiss was soft at first. Then he pressed harder. After another few seconds, Nia opened her eyes in a glare. Of course. He didn't know what he was doing. Mentally sighing, she slipped her tongue past his lips. The wolf demon halted all movements. However, the woman continued to massage her tongue with his. Hesitantly, Koga copied her movements. In such a short amount of time, he learned her technique, quickly taking control. Nia moaned inside his mouth. Because of that, he pulled away. "Nia?" The woman panted heavily. Instead of speaking, she pulled him down for another kiss.

Their tongues danced for quite some time. She guided his hand towards her breast. The demon almost stopped, but she forced him to continue. Eventually, her hand was no longer needed to guide his. Both hands were now on her chest. Slowly and gently, he caressed her. Her head was spinning. She had never felt anything like this before. No, wait… She had felt this way before. When Koga had healed her injuries on her thighs—that had been the best feeling. "_Mm—ah_!" The two roughly broke apart. Nia cracked her eyes open. Satisfied blue eyes stared back at her. "K-Koga…!" She barely breathed out his name. Once she collected herself, she sat up. Smiling, she released him. "You make me so hot~! You make me wanna drop…" Her lips repeatedly pressed against his neck. "I'll scream for you."

The wolf demon groaned, feeling the foreign woman leave behind her sticky kisses. The sticky substance on her lips didn't taste like strawberries like it had smelled, but it wasn't bad. Koga swallowed. It definitely wasn't bad. He bit his lip. Nia's light kisses had become equipped with nips at his skin. She was only human so it wasn't painful at all. Conversely, it felt good. Koga lowered his eyelids, pulling the woman closer. He licked his lips. Did this mean she had accepted him? A clawed hand slid up her body and rested against her neck. She stopped kissing his skin. Her pale brown eyes stared up at him. His hand moved to her cheek. Koga smiled. "This means you're my woman, right?" he asked. His lips lightly touched hers again.

It was like a record had scratched.

"_Eh_?" Nia reared her head back. "What? Your woman?"

"Y-Yeah…"

"_Uh_… I don't belong to anyone but myself." Apparently, Koga didn't understand because his expression turned confused. "I don't love you, so I'm not going to become your woman. Simple as that." His arms fell from her body as he stared at her with disbelieving eyes.

"Th-Then… Then why would you lead me on like this?" he asked. Nia scooted away from the wolf demon, removing her legs from around his torso. Koga did not look as though he was going to take this well. However, it needed to be said.

"I'm not leading you on. I told you from the beginning that I had no intention of becoming your woman," she replied indifferently. "You chose to ignore this. Not. My. Problem." She expected his anger. She expected him to yell, bare his fangs, beg maybe. However, what he did had surprised her greatly. He tackled her, holding her wrist above her head. He hovered over her. His stare was intensive. But she wouldn't call it a glare exactly. "_AH_!" Her eyes widen as the gasp escaped her lips. Koga's wet tongue had swiftly moved across her jaw line before his fangs sunk into her neck. "Ko-Koga?"

"I know you want me. I made it obvious that I want you, too. So put it on me. Let's remove the space between me and you," he whispered. Wha…? Those were the lyrics to her favorite song. How did he-? Kagome. It had to be her again. That damn girl. Why would she tell anyone about what she sings in her sleep? He had sounded so hot when he said it, too. Koga's tongue lapped up the blood that flowed. "Why can't you accept me?" he asked. He roughly kissed her neck where her vein bulged. "You're not attached to anyone else, so why are you unwilling to love me?" He kissed her again; this time, in a much gentler way. "Nia…"

The foreign woman remained still underneath him. Her wrists were bound. His knees pressed against her sides, basically immobilizing her. It wasn't like she get free, so why struggle? Gradually, her eyes opened. His eyes stared down at her, unblinking. "I can't fall in love with you," Nia said. Koga didn't say anything. He didn't need to. His eyes showed that he couldn't understand and needed an explanation. "You see, I don't believe in quick falling. There's no way I'd ever fall for someone I know nothing about. The only way I would fall in love with a person is if there is time and information. My one ex boyfriend, I knew him for three years before we got together, and even months later before we had sex." She narrowed her eyes at Koga's frown. "Why do you think Kagome is in love with Inuyasha? It's because he's always been there with her. For a long period of time, it was just them. Of course she fell in love with him as she got to know him. You, come and go as you please. I'm sure that none of us know who you truly are." Nia turned her head and closed her eyes. "So tell me. How am I supposed to fall for someone I don't know?"

Finally, it seemed that Koga realized. Slowly, he released her wrist and sat up. He then stood up, getting up from her body. Nia watch him as she sat up. His blue eyes looked away. "I understand," he murmured. The foreign woman furrowed her brow as she stood. Bit by bit his gaze returned to her. "I know what I need to do."

"You don't _need_ to do anything," Nia said. However, it appeared that Koga did not hear her. He smirked. Suddenly, she found herself on his back, arms on his shoulders while his strong hands gripped her thighs, holding them in place around his armored torso. This new position confused the hell out of her. "_Uh_… Koga…? What the hell?" The wolf demon chose to answer with 'It's a surprise.' This seriously annoyed Nia. Something was telling her that her three week plan for Naraku was going to turn to shit because of the impulsive demon. Who knows where he was taking her. She sighed heavily, cursing her fortune. _"Please let my gut feeling be wrong like normal!"_ Nia pleaded in thought.

0-0

Special shout out to **callmeBaby'08'** because this person reviewed a lot! I mean, a lot! I was blown away when I saw all those review alerts in my inbox. I can't tell you how awesome that made me feel. This one's for you, babe!

Anyway, I hope to see other reviews from other people as well. Thanks for reading.


	15. Chapter 13 and a Half

Nia was upset. No, not upset. The better word would be enraged. Why? Because the best laid plans were turning to shit. She had been right about Koga screwing with them. But that was only one thing that contributed to her rage. It was also the many pairs of eyes that were staring at her in obvious curiosity and slight suspicion. Having wolf demons form a semi circle around her body made her uncomfortable. That feeling just triggered irritation, thus contributing to her rage.

Here she sat, in the wolf demons' large den. Not only were her plans ruined and demons were staring at her, but she was also wet from the large waterfall, which hid the lair. So on top of being annoyed, she was cold. It was no wonder she bared her teeth at the person responsible. Koga, though, seemed to ignore the eye daggers that were being flung in his direction. He had this smug expression that made it seem like he was displaying his newest exploit to his pack. Nia hugged herself as they continued to stare down at her sitting position.

"This is her?" one of the wolf demons finally spoke up. Koga proudly nodded his head. Nia glowered. The brave soul moved closer to the clearly irate female. He had the audacity to poke her cheek. "She looks so different and weird," he commented. _BAM_—the wolf demon was immediately hit in the face. Like a wuss, he groaned dramatically and fell to the ground, clutching his jaw. Nia huffed. That probably hurt her more than it did him. The other members of the pack grimaced and took a step back. Koga gave a hearty laugh.

"Careful," he told his comrades. "She's pretty fierce."

"Oh, you haven't _seen_ fierce yet, you ass!" Nia nearly hissed. She stood up and marched over to the leader of the pack. Still hugging her body, she stopped centimeters from of Koga. He didn't seem perturbed by her actions. The rest of the pack, though, took a couple more steps back. "_Why_ did you bring me here?" she demanded to know. The leader had the nerve to look genuinely confused.

"You said you wanted to get to know me," he answered.

"The _hell_ I did!" Nia screeched. Koga reared back. "Take me back. Right now." Instead of complying, the leader addressed his pack, telling them to go outside. Once the demons were gone, he turned back to the disgruntled foreigner. "You have exactly ten seconds to pick me up and take me back before I go apeshit."

"Listen, Nia, just hear me out!"

"Nine! Eight!" Before she continued the countdown, Koga hastily picked up her. "That's more like it." To her chagrin, however, the wolf demon carried her not to the waterfall, but to the back of the cave where a pool of fur awaited her. He slowly set her down before taking a seat beside her. Nia pursed her lips, swallowing hard to suppress her anger. The wolf demon actually cringed, and then cleared his throat. His eyes turned away for a moment.

"I want us to get to know each other," he finally stated. "That's why I brought you here."

"Didn't I tell you not to be so selfish?" Nia almost growled. "I have things to _do_!" Koga looked pretty disappointed to hear that. Her eye twitched at the sight. "Listen you… That puppy dog crap doesn't work on me! But… I'll give you five days." The wolf demon immediately perked up. "_Only_ five days, though." She supposed that she could waste five days. Sesshomaru didn't need her until next month, and she was sure Naraku was going to be pretty subdued after her little performance.

"What _do_ you have to do?" Koga asked.

"It doesn't concern you. Don't ask me again," Nia replied. "It'd be troublesome if too many people know."

"Oh." She decided to ignore the dejected tone. But he was sure quick to bounce back. He grinned before grabbing her wrist. "Here, let me heal you." It was then that Nia noticed that she had been bleeding. Her knuckles were bloody. She had felt a dull pain there, but hadn't taken notice of it before. Now that she looked, it seemed to be the worse pain imaginable.

"Oh God! Why~?"

"Hey, calm down! I said I'd heal you!" Koga struggled to keep her contained.

"_Hm_…" Nia frowned, watching the wolf demon's tongue sliding over her minor injury. He was taking special care, wasn't he? Even though it was her fault that her knuckles were like this and she had attacked one of his pack members, he was still showing her special care. Her eyelids lowered. Why did he have to be sincere? It would have much easier if he wasn't. Then it registered how good it felt having his tongue against her skin. Nia smiled widely, remembering when her legs had been injured. That was _so_ great! A giggle erupted from her lips. As he continued to heal her, the giggles increased in duration. Finally, after a few more moments, Koga was finished and the giggles faded. Nia flexed her fingers experimentally. Her knuckles didn't hurt anymore and the blood was gone. "How does this work, anyway?"

"The saliva," Koga answered. "Every demon has that ability."

"I've never seen Inuyasha using that ability," Nia commented. The wolf demon scoffed and crossed his arms.

"That's because he's a half-demon. He was probably raised as a human, so he doesn't know any better even if he _does_ have the ability," he said. "If someone were to tell him that he did have that ability, he would probably find it unnatural and won't ever consider doing it. Humans are so sensitive." Koga blinked, as if he just realized something. "But not you. You're different." Nia's eyebrow twitched, not sure how to take that. "Anyway, since you're going to be here for awhile, I want to introduce you to the pack." The leader stood up, pulling Nia into a standing position as well. Begrudgingly, the foreign woman allowed the wolf demon to lead her to the entrance.

Just outside, there were many wolves and wolf demons scattered about the area. What truly surprised her were the many female demons as well. They, like the males, were sitting around fires, eating, or sharpening weapons. She blinked twice. She had never seen female wolf demons before. Sure, there was Ayame, but that was it. Speaking of the little red-haired devil, her green eyes were currently trying to burn a hole through Nia's head. Scoffing, her hazel eyes turned elsewhere. Upon closer inspection, the female demons did not really look the part. Well, they did wear armor and furs, but they were different. A couple of them even had vibrant skin colors—like orange and blue. Some had markings on their faces. Others had horns. Most looked like furries. "They're definitely not all wolf demons," she muttered. Koga heard her.

"Nope… They're actually demons from all over this region," he explained. "There were no female wolf demons in my pack. There was only Ayame and a couple of female demons in her pack. When she and Hakkaku mated, the packs joined. However, it wasn't enough to restore the population that was killed between our two respective tribes. So mating outside was encouraged. Most jumped at the chance."

"When did this happen?" Nia asked.

"Eight months ago."

"_Hm_… I thought wolf packs were smaller."

"That's for _wolf_ packs. This is a _demon_ wolf pack. Depending on the leader, the sizes of their respective packs vary. The bigger the numbers, the more likely one pack will triumph over their enemies."

"_Ah_."

"Nia," an astonished voice caught the foreigner's attention. The foreign woman sharply turned her head. Coming towards her was a red-eyed wolf demon. No. Upon closer inspection, she seemed to be different like the other female demons. She looked familiar, too. The woman stopped in front of her. "It's been awhile." Her painted lips moved in a familiar manner, too. Nia's eyes widened, noticing the earrings.

"Kagura…?"

The wind sorceress smirked, raising a brow. "You just realized?" Nia scowled. How was she supposed to know right away? Naraku's second incarnation wore different attire. She wore black armor, fitted for a woman, a brown wolf fur skirt, and one wolf fur leg warmer, which Nia now realized that's where her fan was tucked in. There were bandages wrapped around the soles of her feet. Also, her hair wasn't in its usual style. Instead, it was a high ponytail. "And here I thought your observation skills were above normal," Kagura scoffed as if she were highly disappointed.

"What are you doing here, looking like that, anyway?" Nia questioned. "Are you apart of this pack now?"

"Not officially." The smirk didn't leave the wind witch's face. "But soon. I'm involved in courtship with Ginta."

"He just doesn't know yet," Koga whispered in Nia's ear. The foreigner chuckled.

"Good luck to you," Nia said, smiling.

"What about you, though? Why are you here?" Kagura asked. Instantly, a sour expression crossed the young woman's face.

"I was dragged here against my will," she replied, voice flat. Beside her, the pack's leader frowned. "But since I've got nothing better to do, I decided to stay for a bit."

"_Hm_… Looks like you'll need more luck than me," Kagura remarked. Nia's eyebrows furrowed, and questioned why the wind demon would say such a thing. She merely smirked again. "Oh nothing. Have a nice evening." Before Nia could protest and demand to know what she meant, the red-eyed demon sauntered away.

"What the hell was she talking about?" Nia shifted her gaze to Koga. He only shrugged.

"She's so cryptic. No one understands her half the time," he muttered. The foreign woman suddenly frowned, keeping her line of sight on the wolf demon. "What?"

"You'd actually let the woman who killed members of your pack join?" she asked. Koga blinked, and then turned his gaze to the ground. "What is it?"

"That woman, in front of the entire pack, threw away her pride," he responded. Nia made a noise of inquiry. "Sorry, but I forbade anyone to speak about what she did, including myself." He showed a smirk and crossed his arms. "Besides, it was Naraku's orders. Anyway, real men don't hold grudges against people who want to make amends."

"_Ah_, that makes sense, I guess," Nia murmured. Then she smiled. "Good to know." For a moment, Koga only stared at the woman. She had given him a smile. He swallowed. It almost felt like a rarity. Nia had hardly ever smiled, and honestly he hadn't been expecting her to whilst she was here. "Well, are you going to introduce me or not?" Her neutral expression had returned.

"Yeah, let's go."

Introductions to his larger tribe took a bit longer than Nia expected. In total, there were fifty demons in the tribe. However, there were twenty women, leaving twenty-nine men without lovers. As Kagura had her sights on Ginta—who still didn't realize—it was really thirty. There were a few who were still suspicious of her, so to stifle that she told them what she had told Sesshomaru. They seemed to be very curious of what a mutant was. She chose not to go into detail about it, not wanting to reveal her powers just yet. Anyway, she had apologized to Kenji, the one who she had punched in the face earlier. He had merely grinned and told her it was okay. His mate, Yuri, though was a little less than forgiving. That hadn't been the only reintroduction that had been awkward. The tension between herself and Ayame was clear. The hostility would most likely last for awhile.

By the time introductions were over, the sky had turned dark. Many of the demons were already finished eating. Nia watched as Koga tried hard to catch her dinner from the lake. After twenty minutes, she walked towards the edge of the lake and placed a hand on Koga's shoulder. "How about we get some boar instead?" Nia suggested. "Fish really isn't my thing anyway." She smirked. "Let's go."

"Okay," Koga agreed, standing. The wolf demon led the foreigner away from the lair and into the forest. "Do you know about hunting?"

"Of course," Nia shrugged. "That year we didn't see each other, I was being trained by Inuyasha's brother. Well, at least for six months. He made me survive on my own." She frowned. "Bastard took care of Rin. Anyway, he's the reason I know how to hunt. I was _forced_ to know."

"Inuyasha's brother, _huh_?"

"_Hm_…? You know, Koga, jealousy is unbecoming of a man," Nia told him.

"What? I'm not jealous! What are you talking about?"

"Is that so? I guess it would be a little silly to be jealous over a mere six months even if that's the most time I've spent with anyone since I came to this time period." The foreign woman shrugged her shoulders and resumed looking for food. She was seemingly unaware of the scowl being directed at her back. The young woman suddenly squatted down. Her fingers lightly touched the ground. "We're close. These prints are fresh." Koga sniffed the air, realizing that Nia was right.

"You can track, too?"

"It's not hard to follow such an obvious trail," she replied. Nia stood to her full height and pointed north. "One moved in this direction. Maybe it's a heavy one?" She grinned, probably at the thought of eating. Koga had heard her stomach making noises quite a few times. He watched her as she walked. Despite her increase in pace towards the goal, he noticed that she had not stepped on anything that would cause unnecessary noise. Her steps were light and precise even though her focus was on other things.

"_Six months,"_ Koga thought. He frowned. As far as he knew, Nia had yet to show the results of those six months with the demon lord. He didn't know Inuyasha's brother well, but he was certain that the older sibling was powerful—maybe extremely so. The lessons instilled in her must have been awful. Who know what sort of hellish training the foreign woman went through?

"Lucky…!" Nia whispered in excitement. She had stopped and hid behind a tree. Koga looked ahead to see that her gaze was on a wild boar. It had been drinking from the river's edge. "We found one so quickly. Let's capture it and eat!" Smirking, the wolf demon nodded his head.

0-0

It had been three days. Three days and she still couldn't get used to it. The water seemed to get colder each time she had decided to step in. Nia wrapped her arms around her body as she stepped further into the cool river. As usual, the other female demons laughed at her. They actually believed her to be shy about exposing her body. The only reason Kagura laughed as well is because she knew the truth. The wind demon taunted her quite a bit when they were in the water. She didn't think Nia knew that she was subtly using her wind abilities to create larger splashes.

The foreign woman sighed miserably. Long gone were the days of hot baths. She almost wished she was back with the sexy demon lord. Her need for hot baths had been the only thing he had been considerate of, but that was probably due to the fact that he enjoyed hot baths, too. A slap to her back almost caused Nia to go face first into the cool water. "Lighten up, Nia! We're all females here!"

Once Nia regained her balance, she focused narrowed eyes on Yuri, the one who had smacked her wet skin. The corner of her lip twitched, willing the stinging to go away. There was no such luck, though. The fire demon was friendly enough, but there was still some… hostility in her friendly ways. Yuri was one of those women who doted on their love ones. Deep down, she would not forgive Nia for punching Kenji so quickly.

"There's nothing to lighten up! I can care less about displaying my fun bags because they are quite awesome." Many had stopped laughing at her bold statement. "What I am concerned about is this water! Why is it so _cold_?"

"What? That is what has you so… _uptight_?" Yuri asked. The fire demon was quick to pick up on Nia's speech patterns and had taken quite the liking to using them at random. She flicked her green tinted dark hair and giggled cutely. "You are a dramatic woman."

"I don't want to hear that from a person who can raise their own body temperature," Nia retorted. "Kagura, stop splashing me! One more time, I swear to _God_!" The wind demon only laughed, finding it utterly hilarious to irk the normally laid back foreign woman. Still shivering, Nia found a spot where she could sit with the top half of her body still above water. "Yuri, come over here and hug me!"

"Oh, Nia, you… _swing that way_?" The demon hid a smirk behind her hand.

"_Hahaha_!" came the mock laughter. "You're hilarious! Now get _over_ here and warm me up, damn it!" Tittering softly, the fire demon did as commanded. Kagura shook her head, watching the display. The foreign woman didn't seem to realize that she had already made quite the impression with the demons of this tribe. Because Nia was… well, Nia, the other demons believed her to be a species completely different, and not because she had stated that she was a 'mutant,' whatever the heck that was. Kagura crossed her arms. However, there was one demon that openly showed their hostility towards Nia's presence. Ayame. Even now, her green eyes were focused on the foreign woman as though she were the dirt between her toes.

"_Looks like they'll be a confrontation soon if this keeps up,"_ Kagura thought, returning her gaze to Nia. Especially since the foreign woman regarded Ayame with indifference. All that rage would build until the female wolf demon could no longer contain it. _"It'd be interesting to see how she handles it."_

After a few minutes more, Nia became fed up with having to snuggle against a woman's breasts. As she climbed out, she ignored the laughter that followed. All she cared about at the moment was getting as warm as possible, and so she screamed. Why did she scream? Because of experience, she knew that the quickest way to feel warmth was- "Nia, are you-?" Koga stood in front of her. Behind her, the female demons giggled. The wolf demon's cheeks flushed bright red. He sharply turned his back to Nia. "Hey! We ta-talked about this!" Koga stammered out. He felt arms wrap around him, causing the leader to tense.

"And yet you _still_ don't bring anything to cover me with," Nia simpered, pressing her head against his armored back. "Admit it, you like seeing me in the nude, don't you?"

"Th-That's beside the point!" Koga nearly growled. The laughter of the women only increased after his response. Clenching his fists at his sides, the wolf demon squeezed his eyes shut. The foreigner had been doing this for three days straight. Without fail, every morning, she would scream out. Of course, he would recognize her voice and drop whatever he had been doing to come to her aid. He should have realized by now that Nia wasn't the type to scream in the face of danger in the first place.

Ayame yanked on her hair as the other women laughed around her. She was the only one who did not find the situation funny at all. Just how long was this foreign woman going to make a _fool_ out of her leader? She had watched their interactions for days. Her conclusion was that the foreign woman felt absolutely nothing for Koga, and was merely playing around for her own cryptic motivations. Ayame wished she knew what the woman's intentions were towards this pack, but she did know that they weren't good. How could no one else see what was happening? For the good of the clan, her plan would need to be carried out as soon as possible. _"I won't let that woman destroy us, or Koga, from the inside out!" _Ayame vowed in thought.

0-0

As she worked, Nia hummed to herself while bobbing her head up and down. According to the sun's position, it was a little after noon. The wolf demon tribe had eaten earlier in the day, and now it was the time of relaxation. Nia, herself, sat on a rock. Sitting against the base of the rock was Yuri with her eyes shut. The fire demon had wanted her hair done in the same manner as Nia's, and so that is what the foreign woman found herself doing to pass the time. It was frustrating at first because Yuri's hair was something Nia was unaccustomed to working with this type of hair, but eventually she got the hang of braiding the demon's green tinted tresses. Still, she didn't know how long the braids would last at this point. But she was half way finished, so she didn't care.

"_Na_, Nia…" Yuri's voice caused the foreign woman to stop momentarily.

"_Hm_…?" Her fingers began moving again, but she didn't continue humming.

"You've been saying the same thing over and over again. It's gotten to the point where I can mimic you, but… what exactly does '**gettin' gettin' gettin' some head**' mean?" Nia snorted, trying to contain her laugh. It didn't work. Yuri's English was almost spot-on. So she hadn't been humming the entire time?

"Sorry, sorry, Yuri," Nia said once she had calmed herself. "I didn't realize I was singing out loud."

"No. It's fine. But what does it mean?" Yuri persisted in knowing.

"I want to know, too," another female demon spoke up. "You had this really weird grin on your face as you were singing."

"That's called a perverted grin, Nanako," Kagura mentioned. "Usually, it's only seen on men's faces. Nia is an exception."

"Perverted…?" Nanako repeated. Her topaz colored eyebrows furrowed. She scratched her neck, something she did when something intrigued her, Nia realized. However, the wolf demon was a bit shy when it came to admitting her curiosity. However, she was the only female wolf demon that didn't automatically dislike her due to Ayame's influence. That was a bonus.

"It's not perverted. It's natural!" Nia stated as her fingers resumed braiding Yuri's hair. "The song's just about oral sex." The women around her gave her blank looks. Even Kagura. _"Eh…? Could I be that far back that it's not even a word yet?" _Nia thought, biting her lip. Shrugging, the foreigner began to explain other forms of sex to the female demons. By the time she was finished, all who had listened, or had decided to listen later on, were red in the face. Yuri abruptly stood up. "What's the matter?" Nia asked, noticing her fists clenched at her sides.

"I wanna… try… this 69 with Kenji!" she proclaimed. The other female demons clapped at the daring intentions of Yuri. This began the murmurs of the others of trying some of the 'techniques' Nia had described.

"Lovely," Nia said. _"Well… Koga will be happy that his tribe will increase, right?"_ she thought. That's when she noticed Kagura. The wind demon was frowning. "_Ne_, Kagura, what's the matter?"

"I want to try all of them, but only with _him_," she stated. "But I wonder if I'll ever get the chance…"

"… You truly are a perverted virgin," Yuri remarked.

"THAT'S IT!"

A shout came from above. This shout was loud enough to draw the attention of every member of the tribe. Confused eyes settled on the red-haired female wolf demon. She was standing on higher ground, glaring down. Two other female wolf demons were at her side. Ayame's fierce stare was focused on only one, though. Nia. _"Oh boy,"_ she thought, sighing. _"She's finally snapped. Should I just leave?"_ The foreign woman was about to do just that when Ayame spoke again.

"You are unfit to be the alpha female of this tribe!" she exclaimed. "I officially challenge you!" To emphasize who she was referring to, Ayame pointed in Nia's direction. The woman moved her upper body left to right, but the menacing finger only followed.

"Ayame!" Koga stood up from his position. He had been in the middle of discussing food sources with a few of his men when the girl had shouted. The leader of the tribe bared his fangs in her direction. Immediately, the glare disappeared from Ayame's face, yet the frown remained. Hastily, she dropped down to one knee and pressed her fist to the ground, displaying her respect for the chief. "On what grounds do you have to think you can challenge her?"

"Forgive me, Koga," Ayame began. "But since I have met this woman, I have felt that she should not be in her position." Her eyelids lowered, partially concealing her green irises. "Over the course of three days, I have observed her. She doesn't know anything about demon culture, let alone _our_ culture. Yes, she could learn, but with her personality, there's no way she would conform to our ways! I also cannot forget that she insulted me and intimidated my husband! My wolf demon tribe pride will not allow her to get away with it, so yes, I am officially challenging her!"

"From what Ayame is saying, she can officially challenge the current alpha female," Nanako stated in a hushed voice. "That means she's been thinking about doing this for a long time."

"Excuse me?" Nia turned her focus on the wolf demon near her. "What do you mean by challenge the alpha female? Who's the alpha female?"

"_You_ are, of course!"

"When did this happen?" Nia questioned.

"As soon as Koga stated that you are to be his bride!" Nanako shook her head as if she couldn't believe the foreign woman's incredulity. "You automatically became the alpha female of the tribe at that point in time. I guess Koga didn't tell you, huh?"

"No. He. Didn't." Nia clenched her teeth. "Please tell me what it means to be challenged in this position." Nanako raised her finger as she began to explain.

"If the position of alpha female is challenged, the challenger must have credible reasons for doing so. If they are deemed as reasonable grounds, then the fight will start. In the fight, the two women will try to show their dominance over the other. The winner will be announced as the new alpha female of the tribe."

"But… she's already with Hakakku. Doesn't that mean anything?"

"An alpha female does not need to be the mate of the alpha male."

"What if… the current alpha says _no_ to the challenge?" Nia asked.

"She certainly must not do that! Refusing the challenge will cause the rest of the tribe to begin to view her as inadequate for the title of alpha female," Nanako exclaimed. "Surely, more challenges would be issued if such a thing occurred."

"Kenji told me that these challenges usually end up with the loser dying," Yuri put in. Nia frowned. Her eyebrow twitched several times.

"So what you're saying is… do or die?"

"Something like that," Nanako said. "Good luck, Nia!"

"This is total _bullshit_! Why do I have to fight to be here? Koga, I'm gonna fuck you up! … And _not_ in the good way either!" The leader of the wolf demon pack slumped as his comrades shared a laugh.

0-0

By a vote, turns out that Nia did have to fight Ayame… and possibly _die_. In less than two minutes, she would have to face the fury of the red-haired wolf demon. With everyone watching. This was not how she pictured herself dying. Nia had always thought she would be lying on a bed with her male harem, weeping because the light had left her eyes. Not because she had to do something that she wanted no part of. This was just unfair. _"You're laughing at me again, aren't you, mom?"_ Hazel eyes glanced up at the clear sky. The entire tribe had moved from the lair to a clearing in the forest to witness who would end up being the alpha female of the tribe. _"Koga, if I make it out of this, I will give you hell!"_

A shiver suddenly went through the leader's body. He had a bad feeling about this. Seeing Ayame's abilities in the past made him worry for Nia. She wouldn't… seriously give it all she had on a mortal, would she? Koga grimaced, recalling the time Ayame and Kagome first met each other. Back then, he had been going around proclaiming that the young priestess was his fiancée while he had promised to be with the granddaughter of the Northern wolf tribe. Ayame had openly showed her hostility towards Kagome, even attempting to attack her. The leader sighed heavily. He had been such a fool back then. This time, however, he couldn't save the girl—woman—from Ayame's attacks.

"Alright! Let's get started!" Ayame called out from the other side of the field. Nia groaned dramatically. In the end, she couldn't act her way out of this situation.

"Hold on a minute," Nia put her hand up. Ayame furrowed her brow, yet didn't move. The foreign woman turned towards the spectators, more specially Koga. She beckoned the leader of the tribe forward. Blinking in confusion, he walked forward. Everyone watched, curious. "I need something from you."

"Need something…?" Koga repeated. Then he frowned. "Don't worry. You don't need anything. As a favor to me, Ayame won't kill you. It'd be best if you stay down after her first attack."

"Cute, but a weapon of some sort isn't what I need," Nia stated. With her index finger, she silently told Koga to lean forward. He did so. "I only want you to wish me good luck." With a smile, she placed her hands on his shoulders and closed the distance between them with a soft kiss. Koga had opened his mouth in a gasp, as did the spectators, at Nia's public display of affection. The foreign woman slowly pulled away. "Who needs Lady Luck when I have you?" She winked, and then turned her focus back to Ayame. Unbeknownst to her, Koga had become completely red even the tips of his ears. _"Did it work?"_ Nia thought. That little show she had down with the lead wolf demon was supposed to rile Ayame up. The scowl on the girl's face told Nia that her that the plan worked. However, was her anger enough to make her sloppy? _"I suppose I'm about to find out…"_ Biting her lower lip, the foreign woman walked towards the clearly irate female.

"_Argh_! You perverse woman!"

Ayame ran forward, sharp leaves in hand. It was going to hurt like hell if Nia was successfully hit by one of those things. She ran forward as well. It was when the wolf demon flung her green blades did Nia hurriedly switched directions. The leaves were successfully dodged. _"Alright… If I keep my distance, her long-ranged attack won't hit me," _she thought. Sesshomaru's whip had been much faster.

Again and again, Ayame threw her shuriken like leaves, but each time Nia managed to evade the projectiles. The wolf demon growled as the foreign woman, once again, dodged her attack. _"Is it because she's not a human?"_ she thought, narrowing her eyes. Still, the woman was obviously getting tired from running around so much. Ayame smirked. The woman might not have been human, but she definitely had the stamina of a human. _"I'll just get closer then!"_ Without warning, Ayame rushed forward at full speed. The foreign woman seemed surprised. "Got you!" She reared her fist back, and then struck her opponent across the face. While she was off guard, Ayame took the change to overwhelm her with other punches.

"_What the…?"_ Koga watched the flurry of punches through narrowed eyes. Ayame wasn't holding back, after all. But strangely enough, Nia hadn't fallen to the ground yet. The leader shifted his full attention to the darker woman's body. Upon realizing, his eyes expanded. The strikes to her body weren't completely landing. At the last possible moment, Nia would twist or turn her body, so that the punches would slide right off, giving minimal damage. The punches she received to her torso were absorbed because Nia had jumped and moved back slightly. Ayame most likely didn't realize what was happening. _"Inuyasha's brother… He trained her in this way?"_

"_Jeez_, Ayame must really not want her to be in her position," Hakakku murmured. "This is the first time I've seen her like this. Poor Nia…" Beside him, Ginta nodded his head in agreement. Koga glanced back at them. The fools couldn't see it. Then again, the rest of the tribe probably couldn't see it either. Koga clenched his teeth, watching the battle go on. Nia had better think of something else, though. That tactic was mostly used to tire out the opponent. But eventually, she would be the one exhausted. Ayame's hits may have not gotten through all the way, but they were still giving damage. Nia wouldn't last much longer under these circumstances.

Finally, Ayame jumped away, putting distance between herself and Nia. "Why won't you go down already?" The wolf demon yanked on her pigtails in frustration. Her opponent actually grinned. Bruised and bloody, the foreigner had actually grinned. This pissed Ayame more than anything she had done in the past. "Y-You…!"

"I suppose it's because your punches aren't hurting," Nia answered. Of course, it was a lie. She may have managed to decrease the damage to that of a normal human, but damage was still damage. She couldn't keep this up at this rate. Nia wiped the blood from her chin. Ayame's knuckles had collided with her jaw, leaving a stinging, yet numbing, pain. "You know, Koga said to lie down after you attacked the first time. However, what he failed to realize is that I have my pride as well."

"Pride, yet no shame—that's a laugh!" Ayame retorted.

"Say what you want, but… My pride won't let me lose to a brat like you!"

"I won't lose to you either!" Ayame growled out. She slammed her fist against her palm, and then pounded the ground beneath her. The earth rumbled, and seemed to shoot out a multitude of leaves. The flurry of leaves and the giant gust of wind actually lifted Nia high off the ground. She heard her name over the wind in her ears. Grimacing, she looked down. She was too far up. Suddenly, the winds stopped completely, causing the foreign woman to begin freefalling. "It's over!"

"NIA!" Koga shouted.

"_Shit! She's really trying!"_ Nia thought. At this height, head-first, she would most definitely die. Hastily, the woman extended her left arm and curled her fingers in. _"Come on, baby! Work for your momma!" _With a jolt coursing through her body, Nia lurched in the direction her fist was aimed. Right at Ayame. Like a missile, she moved through the air at incredible speeds. Fortunately, the wolf demon seemed too shocked to move until the last second. Ayame dodged the punched, but she could not avoid the sharp petals of Nia's ring. Two blades had pierced her cheek.

"_AH_!_ OW_!" Ayame stumbled a bit as she held her profusely bleeding face. She did not see the leg coming, and so Nia's kick hit. Shouting out in pain, the wolf demon fell down. The foreign woman had aimed for the side of her leg. It felt as though she had fractured her bone. Quickly, Nia stood and moved away from her opponent. She ignored the tears beginning to well up in Ayame's eyes.

"I've been pretty nice to you," Nia frowned. "But then you had to go and try to crack my head open, probably would have ended my life. When it comes to my life being on the line, I become angry." Clenching her fist, she continued. "It's been awhile since I've been this angry." A few of her braids had turned completely white. Her hazel irises seemed to have disappeared, leaving only the white of her eyes. The wind seemed to swirl around her, lifting and playing with her hair.

Ayame felt herself shudder, feeling a large amount of power coming from her opponent. Nia lifted her hands up, palms towards the wolf demon. Blue lightning became to crackle around her fingertips. Then, with a flash, yellow bolts were discharged from her hands. Unable to move, Ayame could only remain frozen as the elemental attack consumed her.

_**BZZZZZSSSHHH!**_

Her body jerked and convulsed as the attack came over her. This went on for several seconds until Ayame fell forward, unconscious. Slowly, Nia let her arms fall. "AYAME!" Hakakku immediately ran to his lover's side. After checking, the Mohawk-wearing wolf demon confirmed that she was knocked out. He gently lifted Ayame from the ground, careful to avoid touching her injured leg. He walked back, stopping in front of the foreign woman. He bowed his head. "Forgive her. She will not challenge you again."

"I see…" Nia replied.

As Hakakku walked, Koga rushed past him. He placed a hand on the foreign woman's shoulder. She had jerked, and then relaxed because of the contact. "Nia, are you-" The wolf demon leader froze once he had a good look at her. Flowing down her cheeks were tears. Her stared seemed aimless. Her legs were trembling, too.

"Sorry…" she whimpered. "I was only acting until this point. Really… I was afraid." Suddenly, her legs gave out, causing her to fall. Koga reacted quickly and caught her before she hit the ground. Nia wrapped her arms around Koga as he held her close. "If Lord Sesshomaru saw this, he'd have my head."

"No. You did well, Nia," Koga replied. He picked her up, bridal style. "I'll take care of your injuries now." The foreign woman shut her eyes, frowning. _"Is this the first time anyone's seen your tears?"_ he thought.

For some reason, the thought made him smile.

0-0

It's been awhile... since I have... updated this story~! And it's been awhile since I have... gotten any reviews~!


	16. Chapter 14

Koga gingerly placed Nia on the bed of fur. She winced lightly as she moved to sit up. The chief had ordered his comrades to stay on the other side of the waterfall, meaning that he and Nia were completely alone. Blue eyes watched the foreign woman slowly remove her 'shirt,' as she called it. It had been cut up a bit by Ayame's sharp leaves. The wolf demon frowned at her exposed flesh. So she hadn't been able to completely dodge them all? However small, her brown skin did bleed. "Nia…" Koga began. She looked his way. "I'm sorry about this. This shouldn't have happened to you."

"…" It was her turn to frown. "Hey, I won, remember? You should be rewarding me, not pitying me." She clapped her hands. "So go on—award me for my hard work." At his confused expression, Nia clarified what she meant. "Heal me, Koga. Your tongue would be my prize. You want me to take my bra off?" The chief of the tribe averted his gaze for a moment. This woman in front of him—her perverse ways would never change. Flushing, Koga returned his focus to Nia's body. It wasn't just her torso. Her legs and arms were injured. Trying to avoid Ayame's long-ranged attacks, she had sacrificed her body to the unyielding force of the ground. Dirt and grass stains nearly covered her legs.

"Wait a sec," Koga told her before standing. He walked over to the waterfall. Then he removed his headband and let the water soak it. The wolf demon moved back over to Nia and sat down. She appeared a bit miffed. "Calm down. I'm just going to clean the dirt off you." At that, her expression returned to neutral. She watched him clean her legs for a moment before opening her mouth again.

"Is it really okay to do that to your headband, Koga?" she asked.

"It's fine. I can wash it later."

"Is that right…?" Nia murmured. She placed a hand on his, causing the wolf demon to shift his gaze from his task to her face. "Then you can wash me later, too. Right now I'm in urgent need of healing." It was obvious she didn't care for the _healing_. Rather, she was most likely thinking of only his tongue. Koga let his headband fall from his hand. "Hurry before it dries." When he obliged, Nia had to keep herself from squealing. The way his tongue moved across her skin made her shudder. She bit her lower lip as the wolf demon continued to heal her. "_Ah_! Go a bit slower." After he was done licking away her blood, Koga lifted his gaze to meet her eyes.

"Make up your mind, woman," he told her. Nia chuckled lightly, and then lightly touched her lips to his.

"Thank you," she said. "Since you've been this good to me, I won't give you hell for not telling me of my position in the tribe. But don't worry about that. I suppose it was my fault. Even though I knew that Ayame didn't like me, I provoked her by ignoring her." Koga stared at her, unspeaking. "Something wrong?" He seemed to snap out of his daze. The wolf demon shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut. "Koga…?"

"It's nothing," he answered. "I just… I just noticed that I missed a cut." Nia tried to look down, but Koga stopped her. "I'll get it—don't move!" The foreign woman became still at his words. Okay. So he had lied. There weren't any cuts from Ayame's attacks on her skin anymore. It was just an excuse. There were scars on her chest and sides, most likely from a blade. Koga placed his hands on the woman's waist. His lips pressed hard against one of the scars on her chest, causing Nia to flinch. The tribe leader wished he could heal these scars that she had received, probably from Sesshomaru, but that was impossible now. Or was it?

Koga opened his mouth. He bit into her flesh, gaining a sharp gasp from the foreign woman. "Ko-Koga…? Why?" He didn't answer. Instead, he began sucking from the small slash he had created with his fang. Once he was somewhat satisfied with her taste, he glided his tongue over the small cut. He reared his head back to examine her skin. It worked. The scar was no longer there. She would be pleased. "What is this? Do you like my blood that much or did you purposely get rid of my scar?" Surprised, Koga shifted his eyes upward. Nia was frowning as though she was displeased by his actions. "I don't mind if you want some of my blood, though I didn't peg you as a vampire, I will not allow you to take away the scars I received from Lord Sesshomaru."

"Nia-"

"They are the proof that I survived his training," she continued. "They are the reminder that I will give him hell. Don't just get rid of them without my permission." The foreign woman turned and roughly escaped his grasp. She reached for her shirt and put it back on. "I told you to stop being so self-" The woman couldn't finish her sentence. Koga had grabbed her arm and yanked her towards him. His hard kiss caused Nia's eyes to widen. She struggled against his hold, but it was a bit hard to do since she had been yanked towards him in a straddling position on his lap. Also, he was a demon. He was definitely stronger than he looked. Besides, he held onto her wrists with a firm grip. Nia narrowed her eyes and completely stopped moving. This, eventually, made Koga stop bruising her lips. He slowly reared his head back. He had a glare of his own.

"You're always mentioning Inuyasha's brother! Do you like him? Do you think he's attractive?" Koga showed his fangs in a snarl. Despite the ferocious look, Nia began laughing. The wolf demon leader blinked in surprise. Now he felt a bit silly…

"Hell yes I think he's attractive!" she admitted through her giggles. "But _like_ him…? _Ha_! I want to see him suffer and _beg_!" Koga stared at her, not quite sure how to take her response. "Besides, I think long dark hair is better."

"Then shouldn't this make you want me?" he asked, motioning to his hair. He yanked the tie out, letting his hair fall from the ponytail. "My hair is longer and darker than yours, especially that guy's!" The foreign woman stared at him for what seemed like hours. "Nia…" She reached up, fingers sliding though his hair. Koga shuddered as her fingers massaged his scalp.

"I think it's pretty clear that I want you, but you…" Nia sighed and removed her hand from his hair. "You obviously want more than my body."

"Of course I do! Wolves mate for life!"

"Which is _why _I won't have sex with you!"

"Nia!" he growled.

"Koga!" she nearly hissed back.

The two glared at one another for almost a full minute. Then the wolf demon's expression softened. He closed his eyes as he leaned forward. His forehead pressed against hers. "I really… want you to become my bride. The way you defended your title as the alpha female—you were amazing. I don't just want you anymore. I _need_ you now." Gradually, his eyes opened, yet his gaze remained lowered. "Nia…" He hesitantly looked her in the eyes. "I… I love you."

Her eyes widened considerably after his words sank in. That is when she realized that the wolf demon had never said anything like that to her before. Sure, he had expressed his interest, going as far as to claim her as his woman, but he had never vocally voiced his feelings. He had never even said that he _liked_ her, let alone loved her. His declaration of love to Kagome had always irked her. Not only was it moronic, but it was fake as hell—impulsive, too. Impulsiveness over something so serious made her feel irritated. However, as she stared into his eyes, Nia realized that what she was feeling was not irritation. Actually, her face felt warmer than it needed to be. Her chest felt tight. She swallowed hard. It felt as though her throat was constricted. _"Don't tell me… I'm actually moved by that!"_

The thought itself almost caused the foreign woman to gasp. She squeezed her eyes shut. It shouldn't have affected her so much. Then again, it had been three days since she had come here. She probably viewed him as more than a sexy nuisance now. "Nia, say something. You're making me nervous," Koga murmured. Her eyes opened again. With a mental sigh, Nia pulled her forehead away from his.

"I'm flattered, but I don't think so," she said. "How can you love me when you don't know me?"

"I know you _enough_!" His grip on her wrist became just a bit tighter. "And I do love you!" Again, that unfamiliar feeling swelled within her. "You don't have to accept my feelings, but don't say they're not real either!" For a long moment, they merely stared at one another. Then Nia opened her mouth again.

"It hurts."

Immediately, Koga released his hold on the foreign woman's wrists. He was about to apologize for hurting her, but Nia suddenly reached up, cupping his cheeks. Then, to his confusion, she kissed him. He thought that she would be angry with him. The wolf demon became more confused when he realized that her eyes remained opened. She pulled back slightly, and then kissed him again. And again. And again. Her eyes were open the entire time. Koga swallowed hard, trying to ignore the ringing of his heartbeat in his ears and the heat increasing in his cheeks. Finally, Nia dropped her hands. She moved her body away from him, and then stood. Blue eyes watched her pace until he couldn't take it anymore. "N-Nia! What are you _doing_?"

She abruptly stopped, and then turned to him. As usual, she wore an impassive face. "I've decided," she began. This only caused Koga to furrow his brow. "It's tiring, I guess, so… I will accept your love for me. You can pursue me all you want. Eventually, _perhaps_ I will fall for you in return." At his befuddled look, Nia almost laughed. "Work hard and you'll be mine for life." Perhaps she said that wrong, but Koga didn't seem to mind at all. Excited, he stood up as well and made a move to embrace her. However, Nia held up her hand. "Just a moment," she said.

"What?"

"Since it's come to this, there's some things you need to know about me," Nia murmured, averting her gaze. "I mean, I'm not embarrassed by it, but you… could possibly come to hate me." Koga opened his mouth, most likely to protest, but the foreign woman merely interrupted before he could begin. "I should first tell you that I am a female version of an actor. However, I do not wear a mask to show an emotion. Because I have been trained for most of my life, I can show any emotion at will without truly feeling it. I can also become a different person in terms of personality. Do you understand what I'm saying, Koga?"

"I… think so?"

"…" Nia stared at him blankly, and then sighed. "Should I give you an example then?" Her eyes shut. "Action…" Then without warning, a grin stretched across her face. "KOGA!" Her shout of glee nearly knocked him over. What did knock him over was Nia herself when she lunged at him. "I'm so glad to see you!" On top of him, she cuddled against his body. "You are so cute! I bet you'd look so handsome in a traditional kimono instead of these bland furs!" She smiled down at him. "Oh, I know! In celebration of me becoming the official alpha female of the tribe, I think we should have a party! You and I can have a matching set. We'd look so _cute_ together! Doesn't that sound like a good idea?!" She sat up and clapped her hands together, seemingly lost in her thoughts about this… party. "Food, dancing, flirting, kissing under the stars—and it should all end with a large display of fireworks!" The woman actually let out a squeal. "_Ooh_! I'm so excited!"

"N-Nia…"

"Yes, my dear wonderful wolf prince?"

"Please stop… You're kinda scaring me."

"Cut then…" She crossed her arms, gleeful expression returning neutral. "So you see, I can behave in a way that is not in my nature. That is my talent."

"I get it, but… why would I hate you for that?"

"Perhaps you would have doubts about who you fell for," Nia explained. "Questions like 'Did I fall for the real Nia?' and 'What if I love how she acted?' and 'Did I make a mistake?' With questions like that, you could come to resent me, and then ultimately hate me." Koga suddenly laughed. After he was done, his expression was quite smug.

"You're worried about something like that? Honestly, Nia, are you sure you haven't already fallen for me?" he asked, smirking. Without hesitation, the foreign woman nodded her head, causing the smirk to falter. "Anyway! You're the woman I fell for. Strong, perverted, smart, lazy, beautiful, selfish, proud—good and bad, I love the person you are." Koga sat up, wrapping his arms around her and pressing his forehead against her chest. "Besides, have you ever become another in front of me?"

"… I don't believe so."

"Then you're worrying about nothing."

"_Hm_—I suppose I was," Nia murmured. Koga lifted his head. "But that's not it. Because of my ability to act in different ways, Naraku has become my problem." Expectedly, the wolf demon furrowed his brow. "Inuyasha and the others have decided to let me have a go at him since their tactics so far haven't been working."

"What tactic are you using then?"

"Seduction," Nia answered. Koga's head snapped up, eyes displaying his incredulity. "Naraku has been led to believe that he is in love with me. I'm going to use that to my advantage." She watched the wolf demon's mouth open and close, yet he never formed any sentences. "Yes. That means I will kiss him, touch him, and pretend that he has my affections. He will kiss and touch me as well. You understand now?"

"It's…" Koga swallowed the lump in his throat. "It's not real. You don't… feel anything for him. You're just… acting, right?" Nia nodded her head. "Then…" He sighed heavily and pressed his forehead against her chest again. "I can deal with it."

"_Ah_… I think you moved me again." She almost sounded like she was whining. Koga smirked smugly, holding his woman tighter. It was only a matter of time before she was his, so he might as well start referring to her as his. "Oh, there's another thing. Lord Sesshomaru found out about my ability, and so I will be working for him. Don't worry, though. Seduction won't have anything to do with it. After that… You can pursue me all you want. But Koga…"

"What now?"

Nia removed herself from his grasp, earning a disappointed groan from the wolf demon. She sat across from him. Instead of the neutral expression that he was used to seeing, she stared, eyes quite serious. "I haven't told anyone this before. Not even my boyfriend knew. Do you know what my dream is?" Her gaze lowered to the ground. "I wouldn't expect you to. My dream is to love multiple men, and be loved by multiple men. I don't mean just sex either. Truthfully, I've been lonely for most of my life. After my mother died, I felt that there was no one. My uncle, though we were family, treated me more like clay than his niece. I lost love at a young age, and so I thought to feel the love I missed out on, I wanted to fill my heart with more than one man. I don't want a male harem just because I'm thought to be a perverse woman. I just want love."

"I… You want love—more than one? I won't be enough for you?"

"Actually, I'm not sure. This is the first time I've allowed a person to love me. But I'm telling you as a warning. There may come a time when I let someone else-" Koga shook his head rapidly, causing Nia to stop speaking.

"I don't care!" he exclaimed. "I already said I love you! That won't change! As long as I can love you… As long as you can love me, I don't care."

"Koga…" Nia murmured. "I didn't think you'd respond like that. I thought if I told you, you would find me too strange and stop liking me altogether, believing me to be a loose woman. But… You sound so… manly."

"What? I _am_ manly!"

She smiled. "My bad. I meant you've matured. I like it. So… even if I were come to like Inuyasha, you wouldn't mind?"

"Of course I would mind! That mutt face-" Before he could finish the insult, Nia yanked on his hair, pulling him forward. The woman kissed him, stifling his sudden irritation. As Koga shut his eyes and returned the kiss, he couldn't help but to think that Nia was the one. Though, she was obviously strange, he needed her. He was definitely going to make her love him. Nia reared her head back and stated that she was only using an example. "You didn't have to use _him_!"

"Don't worry. Inuyasha may be pretty damn cute, but I just can't see myself putting it on him. Shame, really," Nia shrugged her shoulders. Koga scowled. "I think… you don't have to worry about me seriously pursuing someone anyway. I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm a bit lazy when it comes to going after men."

"The hell you are. I remember that you actually took me down you aggressive woman." Instead of getting upset, Nia smirked and moved her eyebrows up and down. She boldly asked if he wanted her to take him down again. This, of course, caused the wolf demon to blush. "You're so transparent."

"Am I?" she replied. The foreign woman was suddenly swept off her feet. Koga had picked her up, arm held under her bottom. His other arm remained at his side. "What? What are you doing? Showing me your strength isn't necessary." He merely shrugged. "Well… Put me down. How can you kiss me like this?" Koga chuckled, letting her body slip down. He still held her close. "You want to kiss me?"

"I want to do more than that."

"Fine. I'll let you be the first."

However, before they could proceed, they were interrupted. Hakakku entered the cavern, looking apologetic. Koga still growled at his arrival. "S-Sorry…" He bowed his head. "I just wanted to let you know that Ayame has regained conscious. She wishes to speak to big sis."

"_Ah_, I suppose I want to talk to her, too," Nia replied. She pulled away from Koga, unaware of his glower because she turned her back to him. "But tell her that it can wait until tomorrow." Hakakku appeared flabbergasted, and then tried to protest. "What? Are you talking down to your alpha female?" The demon took on an expression of horror. "Yeah, I didn't think so. Now, relay the message, Hakakku. I will speak with her tomorrow." He hastily bowed and moved towards the entrance of the cavern. Once he was out of sight, Nia sighed. She then smirked. It didn't get any better than this. Having the authority to tell people to leave her alone—she had missed it. With a sudden embrace from behind, Nia squealed. "Koga…!"

"_Hm_…?" He kissed her ear. She shook her head.

"_Nah_, never mind—keep going."

0-0

... I wasn't really feeling this chapter for some reason. Perhaps the next will be better? Kikyo finally makes her appearance!


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